


New Beginnings

by Ultra



Category: Hart of Dixie
Genre: Alabama, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Awkward Conversations, College, Commitment, Crying, Developing Relationship, Drunkenness, Emotional, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Issues, Father-Daughter Relationship, Feelings, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Holidays, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, Plans For The Future, Pregnancy, Small Towns, Surprises, Teen Angst, Teen Pregnancy, Teenagers, Traditions, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 90,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: It's October 2001. In Bluebell, Alabama, Wade Kinsella discovers a secret about Dr Harley Wilkes. Meanwhile, in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale student Zoe Hart has a secret of her own that she's not quite ready to share. Both these secrets could change many lives forever and it'll definitely be the end of life as they know it, but for Wade & Zoe this could also mean a new beginning that neither one of them expected.
Relationships: Earl Kinsella & Wade Kinsella, Wade Kinsella & Harley Wilkes, Zoe Hart & Harley Wilkes, Zoe Hart & Wade Kinsella, Zoe Hart/Wade Kinsella
Comments: 27
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

Most people probably didn’t know that this was where he came to hide when times got tough. It wasn’t easy having secrets from the rest of Bluebell. So many busybodies and all, most everybody knew every other person’s business, but at nineteen years old, Wade Kinsella already had a reputation for being just so cocksure and altogether full of himself. Probably true that not one amongst the folks of Bluebell suspected he felt much of anything anymore. Nobody would think he would take it to heart when some careless remark or other was made about him being the son of a drunk father and a long-dead mother, with no ambition or smarts to speak of. Nobody would know where he went to cry about it either.

“I guess I ain’t doing too much with this life you gave me, huh?” he said to the gravestone, swiping at his eyes that watered yet. “I’m sorry, Momma. It’s not like I don’t try, but with things the way they are, you know, with Earl and all...”

He trailed off, shaking his head, not knowing how to explain, knowing it would do no good even if could find the words. Maybe it was foolish, sharing his problems with a chunk of granite that bore the name ‘Jacqueline Kinsella’ but he did like to believe maybe she could hear him, knowing for sure that if she could help him at all, then she most definitely would.

Sighing heavily, Wade moved to pick himself up from the ground, brushing off the seat of his pants as he contemplated his mother’s headstone a moment more.

“I love you, Momma,” he told her softly, the slightest smile curving his lips.

He turned to go then, almost running headlong into somebody else coming around the nearby tree.

“Well, hello, Wade,” said the older man with a kind smile.

“Hey, Dr Wilkes,” he said, nodding his head politely. “Uh, should you be out here all by yourself?” he checked. “Last I heard, you weren’t doin’ so good.”

“Not dead yet.” Harley smiled at him. “Though I’ll admit, for a while there it didn’t look too good,” he confessed, one hand going absently to his chest. “There was a little while there when I figured this might be the very place I ended up, and way too soon,” he said, eyes flitting around the cemetery that surrounded them.

Wade looked away, hand rubbing at his face that he knew very well was tear-stained yet. He noticed as he looked back at the doctor that Harley was now gazing past him at the very grave he just left.

“Oh, son, I am sorry,” he told Wade, putting a hand to his shoulder. “I didn’t mean... You know, your momma was a fine woman. Yes, sir, Jacqueline Kinsella was one of the best there was in this town.”

“Yes, she was,” Wade agreed, finding a smile for the glowing report given in his mother’s name. “For what it’s worth, I’m real glad you’re doin’ better. Too many folks go outta the world too soon, I should know. It’s a miracle to me that old Earl is still here after everything, but you? Clean livin’ doctor like yourself, don’t seem right.”

“Don’t go thinkin’ I’m as perfect as all that, Wade.” Harley chuckled. “I’ve had my share of fun in my life, and my share of vices too,” he admitted, moving past him to sit down on the nearby bench with a sigh. “Yes, my life has been interesting to say the least, and I’m glad to say that I don’t have too many regrets. That’s something you think a lot about as you get older, what you might regret, ‘especially when you come as close to the end as I just did.” 

Wade wasn’t really sure what old Dr Wilkes was trying to say exactly. He wasn’t sure he ought to ask, but walking away from the guy when he was talking so strange didn’t sit well with him either. Wade followed him over to the bench and sat down beside him.

“I know what happened was bad,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I may not be the brightest guy in town, but even I know a heart attack is a real serious thing. Still, you came through it, and you’re a doctor, so you know what to do to be okay, right?”

Harley chuckled at that. “Yes, I suppose I do know what to do. Eat better, get some exercise, avoid stress,” he recited, shaking his head right after. “I could go on for a good long while yet, that is true, but... well, I do wonder if this wasn’t a wake-up call about more than just my health.”

Wade shook his head. “I don’t think I understand what you’re trying to tell me,” he admitted. “You thinkin’ of leaving Bluebell maybe?”

“No, not really.” Harley sighed. “It’s the only home I’ve ever known. My family is here, and friends that are as good as family too. I just... well, there is one person out in the world I had a mind to go visit. Of course, I’m not sure how she’d take it if I just showed up.”

“She?” Wade checked.

“Yes, she,” Harley confirmed, turning to him with a smile. “I think I can trust you to keep a secret, can’t I, Wade?”

“Yes, sir,” he agreed, wondering what it was he was about to hear, if anything at all.

For a minute, it seemed as if maybe Dr Wilkes changed his mind about telling him whatever he was thinking of. Then all of a sudden, he took a deep breath and the truth just came out.

“I have a daughter, Wade,” he confessed, seemingly relieved to have said it out loud at last. “She would be... well, I’d say about your age by now.”

“You have a...? Wow.”

Wade really did not know what to think about that. Of all the secrets Dr Harley Wilkes might have been harbouring, he was not sure he ever would’ve guessed it was the fact he was the father of some teenage girl.

“I know what you’re thinkin’,” Harley told him with a smile. “I’m mighty old to have a kid your age.”

“I wasn’t thinkin’ that.” Wade shook his head. “I was mostly thinkin’ how in the heck have you managed to keep a secret like that all this time, in this town?”

That seemed to amuse Harley more than anything, but Wade knew the question was valid. It was almost impossible to keep anything quiet in Bluebell, even when you really wanted to, and this was no small secret. This was genuinely huge.

“Well, I met the girl’s mother on a cruise, twenty years ago now. It was... well, a love affair, I suppose,” Harley explained, a faraway look in his eyes. “I would’ve married her, if she’d let me, but I don’t think that was at all what she was looking for. Anyway, I came home, thought maybe I could just move on, let her go, and I did for a while. Then, all of a sudden, about five years ago, I get a letter from her, from Candice, telling me she had a baby all those years ago and that she was mine.”

“She didn’t tell you sooner?” Wade asked, wide-eyed with shock. “That ain’t right.”

He knew for sure that Harley was the type of stand-up guy that would definitely have been there for a child given half the chance. He always did come off pretty fatherly for a guy that never had kids of his own, except apparently, he did have a daughter after all. The whole thing kind of blew Wade’s mind.

“Candice had her reasons. I don’t blame her exactly.” Harley sighed. “To be honest, I blame myself, especially now. I had my chance to meet Zoe when I first found out she was mine, but I... well, I chose to stay away, thinkin’ it’d be better that way. She had a daddy, Candice’s husband, she didn’t need a foolish old man like me hanging around.”

“But _you_ ’re her daddy, her real father.” Wade shook his head. “Shouldn’t she know that? Shouldn’t you and her both get a chance to know each other?”

“Maybe,” Harley conceded. “But I guess it’s all a little too late now. Come on, Wade, would you want some other man to show up in your life, telling you he’s your real father?” The awkwardness and pain that caused must’ve shown on Wade’s face because Harley immediately looked sorry he said it. “Well, I don’t think Zoe would be too happy about it and... and as much as I’d like to know her, I just can’t bring myself to do that to the poor child.”

Wade wanted to tell him that was wrong, he had a mind to, and yet he kept his mouth shut. Wasn’t really any of his business what other folks did with their own family, their own secrets, their own lives. Times were that Wade didn’t even entirely know what he was doing with his own and he sure as hell didn’t take kindly to people trying to tell him how he should be. It was half the reason he was here today in the first place.

“You’re a good listener, Wade Kinsella,” Harley told him then, “and I appreciate you taking the time. You know, you didn’t have to.”

“Seems to me you don’t really have anybody else to tell this stuff too.” Wade shrugged. “And it’s not like I had anywhere else better to be,” he added with a smirk.

Harley laughed. “Well, just you think on now. You ever need someone’s ear to bend about anything at all, my door is always open, son,” he said, patting Wade on the shoulder. “I mean that.”

“Thank you, Dr Wilkes.” Wade nodded once, probably appreciating that more than the older man could ever know.

“Seems to me you’re grown up enough now to be my equal, Wade. How about you start calling me Harley from here on out? That sound okay?”

“Sure,” he agreed easily, smiling as he took the man’s offered hand and shook it. “Thank you, _Harley_ ,” he said pointedly.

“You’re welcome, Wade,” he replied in kind. “Now, I guess I should be getting myself off home again. You about done here?”

“Almost.” Wade nodded, watching Harley rise from the bench and prepare to leave. “Think I’m gonna hang around just a little longer.”

Harley left him to his own devices then and Wade watched him go, letting his mind wander over all that the doctor had shared with him. It still stretched his mind more than a bit to think of old Dr Wilkes having a daughter his own age out in the world, and to think she didn’t even know about him. Still didn’t seem right to Wade, not right at all.

* * *

Most people probably didn’t know that this was where she came to hide when times got tough. Not that Zoe ever thought too many people would even think to look for her when she disappeared for a while. If they did want her, they’d try her dorm first, then probably the library, or any other place a person might study until their head exploded. On the rare occasions when Zoe just needed to get away, she headed off campus, right down the street to this one particular bakery, where she hid herself in the corner with a latte and a pile of doughnut holes until she felt better. Unfortunately, today, the idea of eating turned her stomach, and what was on her mind could never be solved by a couple of hours alone with her thoughts.

“How could you be so stupid?!” she asked herself in muttered tones, hoping right after that nobody heard, and looking around to check just in case.

Thankfully, there weren’t so many people around anyway, and those that were there were deep in their own conversations, paying no mind to Zoe. She sighed, reaching for her purse and staring down at the ziplock bag inside, containing the evidence of what she saw as her own stupidity. The blue lines glared back at her, mocking somehow, if blue lines could even do that.

Less than two months into her second year at Yale and Zoe Hart had found out she was pregnant. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do.


	2. Chapter 2

“And everything is okay? I mean, it’s not that I don’t love to hear from you, sweetheart, you know that, but... well, you just seem a little... Is something wrong?”

Zoe knew her mother was struggling to understand why she had called her up like this, supposedly just to talk. They didn’t really do this much. Conversations had a purpose, for the most part, especially when calls were being squeezed in between her classes and Candice’s appointments and such. It wasn’t easy to find time when they were both free to talk, so they tended to save up their news for when Zoe was home, or tagged it onto more important things when they called for what they might term real reasons. The fact was, Zoe really did have a very good reason for calling her mom, she was just having trouble finding the words to explain it.

“Um, well, things are a little intense here,” she said after a while.

“Isn’t that what you expected?” her mother checked. “You’re a Sophomore now, Zoe, you knew the workload would increase, that the work would get harder.”

“I did. That’s true.” Zoe nodded pointlessly, since Candice couldn’t see her via the phone. “It’s not just that. I don’t know what’s the matter with me, I guess maybe I’m just homesick, which is crazy because it’s only been a few weeks and I’m not exactly a million miles away.”

She laughed at herself, mostly so she wouldn’t cry. Zoe really didn’t know how to do this, how to tell her mom that she was pregnant. She wasn’t even sure what reaction she was expecting. Somewhere between disappointed and angry maybe? It was hard to tell with Candice sometimes. Still, she knew she did have to tell her, sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, she might not get the chance today, after all.

“I’m so sorry, Zoe, I have a call waiting and I think it’s the one I’ve been expecting. I really do have to take this,” her mom said urgently. “If there isn’t anything specific you needed to talk about...?”

“No, no. Nothing that won’t wait until next time,” she said quickly. “You go, I’m fine.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Well, take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you soon.”

Zoe opened her mouth to reply, but her mom was already gone. Pulling the phone away from her ear, she stared at it for a moment and then tossed it down on the bed, silent tears trickling from her eyes. She had no idea what to do next.

* * *

“Well, hello, Wade,” said Harley, ushering the young man into his office. “I don’t have your file here,” he said then, checking the pile on the corner of the desk. “Did you make an appointment?”

“Uh, actually, I didn’t,” Wade explained, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back to the door. “I just thought if you weren’t busy right now, maybe I could talk to you about somethin’?”

This was awkward to say the least and Wade almost considered saying it didn’t matter and taking himself off home again. Still, he had a feeling he might regret that decision and since Harley wasn’t exactly throwing him out or anything, he figured it didn’t hurt to at least try and go with his original plan.

“You need to talk, son, then I am here to listen, just like I told you before,” the good doctor insisted, getting up and moving past Wade to close the door against any eavesdroppers or intruders. “Take a seat, tell me all about it,” he said kindly.

Wade did as instructed, shifting awkwardly in the seat. “You should know before we start that this ain’t medical or anythin’. In fact, it’s probably none o’ my business at all and I’m already wonderin’ if I should even be here.”

“Well, now you have me all kinds of curious,” Harley admitted, sitting back down and folding his hands on the desk. “Come on now, Wade, spit it out. What’s on your mind?”

Heaving a sigh, Wade finally did exactly that. “Your daughter,” he admitted, watching Harley’s eyebrows rise at the admission. “And I know that sounds weird, but just hear me out, okay? After you told me that you had a kid out there in the world that didn’t even know you were her daddy, well, that’s pretty big news to hear. Like I said at the time, seems to me she oughta know who you are, because that makes a difference to who she is, right? And I know you think she’s better off without you ‘cause she has this whole other life and everythin’, and maybe you’re right, but I just keep thinking... well, I think about my folks, you know? I lost my momma, I got a father who thinks a liquor bottle is the answer to his prayers, not to mention a brother who cut out years back who we don’t see for months at a time,” he explained, even though he was well aware that Harley knew all the details already. “The fact is, if there was some other person out there who was a part of my family, that I didn’t know about, well, mayb  
e they’d think I was better off without them, but the truth is, I would love to find I had some other person I could go to with my troubles. You know, somebody else to turn to when things got rough and all? How do you know that your Zoe wouldn’t be just as glad to know you?”

It was so stupid and Wade knew it. None of this was any of his business. It was why he hadn’t said anything to Harley before this, but the more he thought on it, the more he realised that the day the doctor sat down beside him and told him the whole story about his daughter and everything, well then he kind of made it Wade’s business.

A week later, and after giving it an awful lot of thought, he just couldn’t help thinking how wrong it was for this girl not to know the truth. Besides, it didn’t sit right with him knowing that a nice guy like Harley was missing out on knowing his own flesh and blood either, especially now, when he had come so close to the end and everything.

“Well,” said Harley with a sigh, rubbing his chin. “I can’t say that I haven’t been giving it all some thought myself, Wade,” he admitted. “It’s a funny thing, but after my talk with you last week, I actually did give some serious consideration to going to see my Zoe and... well, introducing myself, I guess. I talked myself in and out of the decision several times over these past few days, but right now at least, the choice has kind of been made for me.”

“How’s that?” asked Wade, frowning some.

“Zoe lives in New York, which means the only sensible way to get to her would be by plane. After my heart trouble and all, there’s no way I should be flyin’ any place, not for a while anyway,” he explained, shaking his head. “It’s an awful kind of irony, isn’t it?” he said then. “That the very thing that made me so thoughtful about the girl in the first place is the same thing stopping me from getting to her?”

“New York, huh?” Wade said thoughtfully. “That’s a heck of a long way.”

“Yes, it is.” Harley nodded his agreement. “And I’m just assuming that’s where I’d find her. It’s where Candice lived, and Zoe along with her, but at nineteen, she could just as easy have left home, gone to college, anything at all,” he said with a sigh.

“Yeah, I guess so,” said Wade, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Dr Wilkes... Harley,” he corrected himself. “I shouldn’ta come here telling you what to do or anything. I just thought-”

“I know what you thought, Wade,” Harley assured him with a kind smile, “and believe me, I appreciate your point of view. Means a lot to me that you gave this much thought to me and my daughter.”

Wade smiled, though his heart wasn’t in the expression. He really wished there was some way to help Harley out more than this. All he seemed to have achieved here today was making the poor guy feel worse about his situation, knowing that even if he wanted to find his daughter, he wouldn’t know where to look and probably wouldn’t be allowed to get there either, at least, not right now.

Leaving the medical practice, Wade wasn’t really paying attention to where he was headed as he crossed town square with his hands stuffed in his pockets. It was how he managed to plough right into his good buddy, George, coming the other way.

“Tucker? Now what in the heck are you doin’ here?” asked Wade, shaking his head. “Aren’t you supposed to be in some fancy college classroom right now, making yourself even smarter than you already are?”

“Technically, yes, that is exactly where I should be,” George agreed, as they greeted each other with a handshake that turned into a brotherly type hug. “But then my momma called me up with some drama about my daddy’s health which, thank God, turned out to be something and nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Family, always fun, right?”

“Ain’t it just?” Wade agreed, turning to look back the way he had come. “Hey, uh, seein’ as you’re here, Tucker, any chance you got some time to do me a favour?”

“Sure,” George agreed easily. “What do you need?”

“I was thinkin’ maybe I could borrow that fancy computer of yours and a little of your smarts on the internet and all. There’s somebody I need to find.”

* * *

“Come on, Zoe, you’re not seriously asking me to believe it’s mine?” said Logan, practically laughing at her even as tears filled her eyes.

“Of course, it’s yours,” she said, shaking her head and hating that she sent those same tears trickling down her cheeks unchecked. “Seriously, after all the effort you put in to get me in your bed, you should know I’m not that easy!” she said crossly.

“Yeah, well, just because you’re not, that doesn’t mean I’m taking responsibility for you getting yourself into trouble,” Logan insisted, already backing away. “Your mom has her own business, right? Hangs around with the rich and famous? You can afford to deal with this. Stop bugging me.”

Zoe was too shocked to even answer that. She wanted to beat the living daylights out of the guy who she had thought she could trust, who just made light of something as serious as her having his baby. At half his height and a fraction of his body weight, she didn’t really stand a chance and knew it wasn’t a bright idea anyway. Instead, she flew back into her room, threw herself on the bed and cried some more. It was all she seemed to do lately, but right now, she couldn’t think of anything else.

* * *

“I am going to ask you one more time, Wade, and I want an honest answer,” said George, looking his friend right in the eye. “Did you get this girl into trouble?”

“For God’s sake, Tucker.” Wade rolled his eyes. “I never even met her yet, okay? She’s just... well, I guess you could say a friend of a friend, kind of,” he explained. “I can’t say more than that right now, but it is important, okay? I just need to find out where she is, either an address where she lives or a college she’s at or something.”

If anybody could find Zoe Hart, it was most likely to be George. He wasn’t exactly the nerdy type, but he was smart enough, he had to be since he was going to follow in his daddy’s footsteps and be a lawyer someday. Wade had no such plans to follow old Earl into the town drunk business, but right now, he was banking on George needing to prove he could be just as smart as his own father.

Wade looked on as his friend did some fast typing on the keyboard of his computer and it didn’t take long before he seemed to have found something useful.

“Okay, it was not easy,” George explained, “but I think I found her. There’s a Zoe Hart listed as a graduate from Dalton Academy in Manhattan, Class of 2000, same as us.”

“Sure, that sounds right.” Wade nodded. “Where’s she at now?”

“According to this, probably Yale. I mean, I can’t say for sure, but this is a copy of her valedictorian speech and she talks about heading there in the Fall. Unless she dropped out or transferred or something, I figure that’s where you’d find her.”

“Yale?” Wade echoed. “That’s in New York too, right?”

“Not quite,” George told him, pulling up a map of the north east. “New York is right here,” he pointed, “and Yale is over here on the right in Connecticut. New Haven, to be exact.”

Wade let out a low whistle as George zoomed the map out some and he saw what a great distance it was from Bluebell to the kinds of places they were talking about. Harley wasn’t kidding when he said the only way to get there was by plane.

“That is a heck of a distance.”

“Yes, it is,” George agreed. “Now, Wade, please tell me that the next words outta your mouth are not gonna be, ‘George, can you lend me money for a plane ticket to Connecticut?’”

“Come on now, why would I say that?” asked Wade, rolling his eyes. “You got some weird ideas, Tucker.”

“Oh, _I_ have some weird ideas?” his friend echoed. “Says the guy who just had me search for a girl he never met who goes to college half way across the country and now, what? Now you know where she is, you’re not even gonna do anything about it? Who is this Zoe Hart anyway?”

Wade wanted to tell him. Of all people in the world, he knew he could trust George Tucker, but he also made a promise to Harley Wilkes that he wouldn’t tell a soul about his daughter. He couldn’t go back on his word like that.

“She’s just a girl.” Wade shook his head. “But thanks for your help, Tucker. I appreciate it.”

He got up to leave then, unsure where he was headed. There was a part of Wade that wanted to go right back over to the practice and tell Harley what he found. Another part was sure that was the wrong decision, dragging it all up over and over when most likely the good doctor just wanted to put it all out of his head. Wade couldn’t even explain why it bothered him so much, why he felt such a need to have Zoe know about Harley and all. He supposed it was just like he told the doc before. His own family had been torn apart all too easily. He figured it was best for all other people to have as many folks around who loved them as possible. Could be this Zoe Hart really needed somebody right now, and if Harley was willing, he could be just exactly the right person.


	3. Chapter 3

Wade didn’t have much in the way of cash. What he had went towards keeping him and Earl, so there wasn’t all that much left over at the end of each week. If Wade needed, say, five bucks for something important, he could probably find it, but right now he was looking for a few hundred if he was going to get as far as he wanted to. That just wasn’t happening.

Thankfully, despite what some folks might say, what Wade did have was smarts. Maybe not the same kind of brains as his friend George Tucker or anything, not enough to be a doctor or a lawyer or some such, but he was what you might call wily in his own way. When he heard tell that Shady over at Nate’s Hardware was planning to drive cross country to make a special delivery in Pennsylvania, Wade made sure to get all of the details from the local ladies that liked to gossip. Seemed some construction project was going on that needed some pretty specific supplies. Nate knew a guy who knew another guy working on this particular job, glad to pay handsomely for those supplies to be driven all the way up the country to him and Shady was going to be the guy to take it.

“You know, you’d get there a lot faster if you had somebody to share the driving with you,” Wade told him, leaning up against the side of the hardware store when Shady came out the door. “I got a clean licence, time on my hands, and a need to make some cash. What do you say, man?”

Shady smiled but shook his head. “I know you mean well, Wade, but I can’t be takin’ you off to Pennsylvania like that. You got things here need your attention. One in particular, I should say.”

“Hey, I got that covered, okay?” said Wade, following the other guy to his truck. “Old Earl, he’ll be just fine, but I need this, Shady, you understand? I mean, I really need it.”

Maybe he should’ve told him why it was so important, but Wade had already made promises elsewhere that prevented it. Harley wouldn’t take too kindly to his business being discussed all over Bluebell, and though the cash would be useful too, Wade was making this trip for a much bigger reason.

Pennsylvania sat right alongside New York on the map and it wasn’t far then to Connecticut. Wade figured with the money he got from Nate Hilson for helping Shady with the delivery job, he could get himself a train or bus ticket right to Yale and find Zoe Hart. That would really put a smile on old Harley’s face, a look that had been missing for far too long.

Just as soon as Shady agreed to the plan, Wade raced off to the practice, only to find that Harley wasn’t working that afternoon. Dr Breeland was all full of questions as to why Wade was even looking for Dr Wilkes, but he was quick to tell him it was nothing much. Brick was a decent doctor and a nice enough guy most of the time, but Earl had a problem with him, and Wade was pretty darn sure even Harley’s business partner knew nothing about Zoe.

A half hour later, hammering on Harley’s front door, Wade was all but bouncing in place until the doctor finally appeared, frowning some.

“Well, now, Wade, what can I do for you? I hope this isn’t about your father.”

“Actually, it is,” Wade admitted, “but prob’ly not the way you think. Uh, see, the thing of it is, Harley,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck, “I got the chance of some work. Goin’ along with Shady to get some construction supplies driven up the country some. It’ll take a couple o’ days and, well, I was hopin’ maybe you’d do me a favour and keep an eye on old Earl while I’m gone? I wouldn’t ask only-”

“Wade, if you need a favour from me then you know I will gladly do it,” Harley cut in, waving away any more concerns he might’ve had. “Heaven knows, you’ve done me a great service, keeping certain information to yourself these past few weeks,” he said with a knowing look.

“Yeah, about that,” said Wade, shifting awkwardly then. “Uh, could I maybe come in for a minute to talk some more about that too?”

Though Harley looked a little confused by the request, he moved aside to let Wade into the house without pause. This might be a little bit of a strange conversation to have, not least because Wade was well aware he was sticking his nose in where it might not be wanted, but crazy as it may sound, somehow, he just knew this was the right thing for everyone.

_One week later..._

“Mom, I know this is going to be a shock, and believe me, it was tough for me to wrap my head around too, but the fact is... I’m pregnant.”

Zoe stared at her reflection in the mirror for a beat or two, then closed her eyes and all but collapsed onto her desk, her face on her folded arms.

“This is ridiculous!” she told herself crossly.

She had been sat at her desk for at least an hour, trying and trying to find the right words, the right way to tell her mother about her pregnancy. So far, no matter how she phrased it, how gently, how straight to the point, whatever, it just seemed wrong.

Zoe supposed there really was no good way to tell your mom you were pregnant and therefore probably going to have to drop out of Yale. It wasn’t what Zoe wanted, if she were honest. She had always wanted her career so badly, to be a doctor, like her dad before her. To one day work alongside him, Hart & Hart, cardio-thoracic surgeons extraordinary. He didn’t show so much interest these days, but he would if Zoe just got into his field and became the best, like he was. Now that was going to be more difficult at best and impossible at worst, especially if she didn’t have any support.

The main door to the dorm opening made Zoe look up sharply, wiping at her face with both hands to remove any sign of tears. Her room-mate was speaking a little too loudly and harshly for good things to be happening and so Zoe headed out of her bedroom to see what was going on. She caught a very brief glimpse of a blond guy in a flannel shirt beyond the main door before it was shut with a bang.

“Seriously, get lost, creep!”

“Katie, what’s going on?” Zoe asked her dorm-mate. “Is that guy bothering you?”

“Kind of, but only because I wouldn’t let him bother _you_ ,” she said, her back against the door yet as she seemingly listened to see if the mystery man was gone.

“I’ll be back!” he called to her.

“Yeah, good luck with that, Schwarzenegger!” Katie yelled, slamming her hand against the door. “Seriously, what is with the guys in this place? I don’t even think he goes here, he doesn’t seem like the type,” she said, finally pushing away from the door.

“And he wanted to see me?” Zoe frowned. “Why?”

“I don’t know, he kept on asking if Zoe Hart lived here, if I knew you, if he could talk to you,” Katie explained, dumping her bag and books on the couch before sitting down next to them with a thud. “I asked who he was, but the best I got was a friend of the family,” she said, shaking her head. “Like I was buying that. You’re from New York, how would you have friends of the family who sound like they come from hick country?”

Zoe wasn’t sure what to think as she sat down next to her friend. Katie had good instincts with people, so she was probably right about the guy being a weirdo of some kind. Still, Zoe couldn’t imagine how he got her name. From hick country? That had to mean the south somewhere, she supposed, and he did sound a little southern when she heard his voice just then. She racked her brains for an explanation as to who it could possibly be, but came up empty.

“A friend of the family?” she said to herself. “Someone my mom knows?” she asked, as if Katie would have a clue. “Or my dad?”

“He didn’t say,” her friend confirmed. “Seriously, did you want me to let him in here? ‘Cause no offence, Zo, but he seemed really shady to me,” she said, apparently unimpressed at the idea of letting the guy into the dorm at all.

“No, no, it’s fine.” Zoe waved away her concern. “It’s just so weird. I can’t think of anybody who fits, unless...?”

Getting up fast, Zoe went to her bedroom and grabbed her jacket. She barely had one arm in a sleeve by the time she got back to the main door. Katie immediately leapt up from the couch and got in her way when she realised what was happening.

“Zoe, you cannot go after that guy,” she said desperately. “He could be anybody!”

“Exactly, he could be anybody,” she agreed. “He could have a message from my dad and it could be important. You know how long it is since I heard from him, I have to find out for sure.”

“I’ll come with you,” Katie insisted.

Zoe shook her head. “No, it’s fine. We’re on campus, lots of people, and it’s light outside. I’ll be fine, I promise!” she called even as she let herself out of the door and hurried down the hallway, hoping to find the mystery man from before.

It was probably an impossible task. After all, at least five minutes had passed since he was at the door and there were a hundred and one directions he could’ve taken to go elsewhere on campus or to leave altogether.

Zoe headed in the most likely direction, out of the nearest exit and into the main quad. Her eyes scanned the crowds of fellow students and faculty both, searching and searching for a guy in red-and-black plaid. Somehow, she figured he would be easy to spot, and yet, short as she was, Zoe had trouble seeing over the heads of many people taller than herself.

“This is so stupid!” she said to herself, and yet pressed on regardless.

She meant what she said to Katie, maybe this guy did know what was happening with her father. It was so long since Ethan Hart had been in touch with his little girl and she missed him a lot, even if she was also a little mad at him for abandoning her just because he and her mom had gotten divorced. It wasn’t as if it was her fault that the parents couldn’t get along, and yet.

“Look, I already told you, it’s not like I’m not tryin’ to leave!” said a voice very loudly then, one with a distinctly Southern sounding accent.

Zoe headed that way and found the guy from before getting into a fairly heated discussion with a couple of girls that she knew.

“Hey!” she called, heading into the fray. “Um, you were looking for me, right?” she said, looking up into the face of the blond guy who, by the way, was actually pretty damn hot, not that that was the part to focus on right now, Zoe knew.

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head as he looked at her. “You Zoe Hart?”

“I am,” she agreed, nodding. “Do you know my dad?”

He looked surprised by the question, eyes widening a little as he stared at her. At the same moment, he and Zoe both realised they still had an audience and turned to the other girls.

“Sorry if he was bothering you,” Zoe told the two that she knew by little more than name and face. “Misunderstanding, it’s fine now.”

“You sure?” one checked, eyes shifting between Zoe and the mystery guy.

“I’m sure.” Zoe nodded once, smiling until the two girls walked away at last and she could put her focus back on the stranger. “So, you have a name?”

“I’m Wade,” he told her. “Wade Kinsella”

“Well, Wade Kinsella,” said Zoe, looking him over. “I’m still not sure how you know my dad, but if you brought me a message from him, let’s hear it.”

“Just like that?” he checked, shaking his head. “I mean... well, the way Harley told it, you didn’t even know he existed.”

“Harley?” Zoe frowned hard. “Who’s Harley?”

“Uh, okay.” Wade rubbed the back of his neck and looked about as awkward as Zoe had ever seen anyone look in her whole life. “I think we got some crossed wires here or somethin’. See, I come here to see you, to tell you... well, the thing is...”

Zoe stared up at him, waiting and waiting for him to spit it out, but Wade didn’t seem all that willing. Eventually, just when she was about to prompt him to spit it out because she didn’t have all day, he heaved a heavy sigh and confessed it all.

“Harley Wilkes is a doctor, down in a place called Bluebell, Alabama. Truth is, well, he’s your father, Zoe. Your _real_ father.”

That was when Zoe’s world got a little fuzzy around the edges and then suddenly went entirely black.


	4. Chapter 4

“I told you four times already, I didn’t do anythin’ to her!” Wade told Zoe’s roommate who was glaring at him yet. “I came to give her a message and when I did, she passed out on me, so I carried her back here.”

The nameless blonde with her fists on her hips opened her mouth, presumably make further accusations, but Zoe stirring on the couch got her attention instead. Wade turned to look too, unsure what he expected Zoe to say as she blinked up at him.

“What happened?” she asked, one hand at her head.

“I was hoping you were going to tell me that,” said the blonde, shoving Wade out of the way and crouching down by her friend. “What did he do?”

“What?” Zoe checked, frowning as she looked up at Wade. “No, he didn’t... Katie, it’s fine,” she promised her friend, patting her hand. “I’m fine,” she said again, swinging her legs off the couch and sitting straight, even as her head swam some more. “By the way, Wade, Katie, Katie, Wade,” she introduced with an absent wave of her hand.

“Like I care,” Katie said sharply.

“Hey, I’m not gonna keep on repeating myself, but I didn’t do anything wrong here, okay?”

“He really didn’t,” Zoe confirmed. “I’m guessing you brought me back here?” she checked with Wade then.

“What else was I gonna do?” He shrugged. “Leave you lyin’ out there, fit to get stepped on?”

One strange burst of laughter escaped Zoe’s lips before her hand went to her face, presumably trying to hold in any more sounds. Katie kept on asking her if she wanted anything - a glass of water, help getting to her room, the hick throwing out on his ass. Wade so wanted to tell her to butt out, but knew it probably wasn’t the smartest idea. It came as some relief when Zoe told her the same thing, albeit more politely.

“You don’t seriously want me to leave you alone with _that_!”

“Hey, now,” said Wade crossly, but before he could say more, Zoe threw up her hands.

“Katie, could you please just leave me and Wade alone for a while?” she urged her. “I’m not in danger, everything is fine, but we need to talk... alone,” she said pointedly.

Though she still didn’t look happy about it, Katie did get to her feet and head for the door that presumably led to her room. Wade couldn’t help but smile sweetly and wave her goodbye just the same. She glared daggers at him before she closed the door behind herself with a thud.

“She is just... delightful,” he said, making a face.

“She happens to be a really good friend,” said Zoe with a look. “Most of the time,” she added, frowning some. “Ugh, sit down, my neck hurts looking up that far from down here,” she said, shifting over to make room for Wade.

Taking the other end of the couch, he shifted uncomfortably as she turned to stare at him. This little cross-country trip of his really was not going at all according to the plan, but he was here now and Zoe was willing to talk to him, so he may as well press on.

“You told me something, before the passing out happened,” she said as she looked at him. “Why?”

“Why did I tell you?” Wade checked, shaking his head. “’Cause it’s the truth, Zoe. Harley is your real father.”

“How do you know?” she countered fast, turning more to face him on the couch. “I mean, you can’t be much older than me, how would you know anything about my parents?”

“I know Harley,” he told her easily. “He is not a man to tell a lie like that, or to tell a lie at all, I guess,” he said, considering it some. “Truth is, he’s probably one of the nicest guys in town. He always has a good word for everybody, would help any person who ever asked and a bunch more that didn’t, and... and he’s your father.”

Zoe looked a little dazed still, but Wade could understand that after the passing out and everything, plus the news he just gave her. Had to be kind of a shock, he supposed. At least Zoe seemed like she might be believing him and was prepared to listen to what he had to say.

“Harley... what did you say his last name was?” she checked then.

“Wilkes. Dr Harley Wilkes of Bluebell, Alabama,” said Wade with a smile. “Hell of a nice guy, like I said, and-”

“And my father, yeah, I get that part.” Zoe waved away the rest of whatever he was going to say, even though she guessed wrong in where he was going with his sentence, but Wade hadn’t a mind to tell her so. “This is just crazy,” she said then, running both hands back through the length of her hair. “I mean, am I seriously just supposed to believe you? No evidence, just your word as a Southern gentleman?”

“Of course not,” said Wade then, belatedly remembering that he did indeed have proof of what he said. “Right here,” he said, pulling an envelope from inside his shirt and handing it to her.

He watched as Zoe took it into her hands, tracing her own name on the outside in Harley’s handwriting. Though she was clearly shaking, she tore into the envelope, pulling out the letter inside, a photograph falling out into her lap. Wade didn’t say anything, he knew there was nothing at all he he could add to the moment. Zoe needed to see and read the truth in Harley’s way now, and so, she did.

* * *

She didn’t believe him at first, or at least, she didn’t want to. Zoe was sure it was some weird elaborate prank or something that had led to this stranger from the South telling her that Ethan Hart was not really her father, but some man she never met from Alabama. The passing out had been inconvenient and weird, though of course, she could hazard a guess as to why it happened.

Even as she was telling Wade she believed nothing he said without proof, her mind was whirring with possibilities. Why her parents broke up, why her father, Ethan, abandoned her. So many things might make more sense if she was the product of an affair rather than the Hart marriage, and yet.

Now, here was the proof she asked for. Before she even read the letter from this Harley person, the picture in her lap made her sit up and take notice. The man, she had never seen before in her life, but the woman, though twenty years younger than she was now, was undoubtedly Candice Hart.

Swallowing hard and forcing a breath through her lungs, Zoe began to read the letter that wobbled terribly in her own shaking hand.

‘Dear Zoe,

Well, I’ll admit I hardly know where to begin this letter. I guess by now Wade will have told you who I am. My name is Harley Wilkes and I am your father. I understand this will come as a shock to you. Believe me, when your mother first told me, I was more than a little surprised myself. The truth is that I have known about you for a little while now, since you were fourteen, in fact. Perhaps I should have gotten in contact sooner, and perhaps I should’ve left well alone even now, but I’m afraid I couldn’t do that anymore. Whatever I did wrong in this situation, I can only apologise, Zoe, and hope you can forgive me.

I wish I knew what else to say here. Most of what I’d like to share with you ought to be done face to face, but I’ve been having a few health problems of late and travelling such a long way would be hard right now. Since Wade was coming your way, he offered to bring this letter to you, and the photograph too. I know this is probably all very confusing for you, so I wanted you to have the only proof I have of my relationship with your mother.’

Zoe stopped reading out of necessity more than anything as tears filled her eyes and took away her vision. One hand covered her face as she fought to get a hold of herself, but it didn’t come easy. It was shocking enough to hear that her dad wasn’t her father, that some stranger was, and to have evidence of that so plainly in front of her. At the very least, she couldn’t deny that this Harley guy knew her mom right around the time she was conceived.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe let it out slowly. She had almost forgotten she had company in all this until Wade spoke up.

“I’m real sorry, Zoe,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean... Hell, this is prob’ly all my fault anyway,” he said then, rubbing the back of his neck as Zoe glanced at him.

“Are you a time traveller?” she asked him straight.

Wade frowned at that. “No.”

“Well, then, this is not your fault,” she said, waving the photograph and letter in his general direction. “How old were you in 1980 anyway?”

“No age at all I guess.” Wade smirked a little. “I was born in ‘81.”

“Me too.” Zoe smiled slightly even as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “And apparently, that was when my mother started lying her ass off,” she said, smile fading as she looked back down at the letter in her hand.

There wasn’t much she hadn’t read, just apologies and pleasantries from Harley as he sighed off, his phone number and address printed on the bottom of the paper, in case she wanted to get in touch. He seemed to understand that she might not want to, but clearly hoped she would, all the same. Zoe couldn’t even consider it right now. She felt nauseous and yet weirdly relieved in some way that she couldn’t ever explain.

“Uh, I don’t know how this is supposed to go from here,” said Wade, shifting a little closer to Zoe. “Hadn’t exactly thought it through much after tellin’ you the truth and givin’ you Harley’s letter and all. Sure as hell wouldn’ta done it if I knew you was gonna cry and all.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Zoe told him, sniffling some. “Like I said, it’s not your fault.”

“’Cept that it kinda is,” Wade insisted. “See, it was around a month ago that Harley told me about you. He seemed mostly okay with leavin’ you be, lettin’ you live your life always thinking the man who raised you was your daddy. Thing of it is, when I heard all o’ that, I just... Well, you gotta understand, my dad, he ain’t exactly the greatest, but it’s not all his fault. We lost my momma a good long while ago and old Earl... he’s just never been the same without her.”

“I’m sorry,” said Zoe, automatically feeling bad at the sound of such a story.

“I’m not lookin’ for sympathy, Zoe,” he assured her. “I’m just tryin’ to get you to understand that... that I know what it is to lose your family. Seemed to me that since Harley didn’t have a family himself, ‘cept for you, apparently, he oughta get the chance to know the one person he does have out there in the world. Besides,” he said then, meeting her gaze, “I had this idea that maybe... well, maybe, you might need him too.”

Zoe found herself getting a little hypnotised by the beautiful green of Wade’s eyes and carried away by the melody of his voice. It wasn’t about him being good looking, which he absolutely was, it was the things he was saying, the real feeling that seemed to come with those words. Somehow, she just knew that he meant well, that every word he said was true. Maybe that made her a fool, but Zoe Hart, who grew up in New York and was confident that she could spot a liar at fifty paces, was just so sure that Wade Kinsella was for real.

“Zoe?”

When he spoke her name again, whatever kind of spell came over her broke immediately. Zoe shook her head slightly as she came back to reality and laughed at herself for being so dumb. Her eyes went to her lap and the letter and photograph that lay there still. Harley Wilkes. Her real father.

“So, my life is a lie,” she said, swallowing hard. “That’s... This is not how I expected my day to go.”

“I am sorry, Zoe,” said Wade again, his fingers at her elbow very briefly, before he seemed to think better of it and retracted his hand, running it over his hair instead.

“Again, not your fault,” she assured him with a sigh. “But, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like you to leave now. No offence, but I need to process all this and... well, I’m sure you’re a really nice guy, Wade, but I don’t know you.”

“Don’t worry on it,” he said, getting to his feet. “I’ll just take myself... somewhere,” he told her, heading right for the door.

“Wade?” she called after him before he quite had chance to go. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I mean, this is all... crazy,” she repeated, unsure how else to describe it, “but if it is the truth, and it seems like it probably is, I appreciate you making the trip and... just, thank you,” she said, finding him a small smile.

“No problem,” he assured her, smiling back, tapping the door twice with his hand before leaving at last.

Zoe sat staring at the closed door a moment before she looked back to the photograph now held in her hand. Her mother and... her father, she supposed. Harley Wilkes, her father. It made no sense and yet it made so much sense. Zoe knew she had more to talk to Candice about than she ever realised before and it was going to be just as tough a conversation as they’d ever had in their lives. All that would come later, of course. For now, all Zoe could find to do was cry.


	5. Chapter 5

There was no way in the world for Wade to sleep right now, and the lumpy motel mattress was not to blame. He knew he should get some decent rest, not least because he had his share of the driving to do first thing in the morning, so him and Shady could get the truck back to Bluebell in good time, but it just wasn’t happening. His mind was full of other things, other people, one in particular, actually.

Zoe Hart was not entirely what he had been expecting. Harley didn’t have a picture of her, or if he did, he never shared it with Wade. All he knew for sure was where she went to college and was glad to find some helpful person who would tell him which building and room she stayed in. Somehow, he had imagined a girl that was somewhat like Harley himself, though Wade hadn’t much considered how the old doctor’s looks would sit like on a girl of nineteen.

With a great heaving sigh, Wade rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling some more, his arms crossed behind his head. He was sure he had been doing the right thing by coming here, making the long trip all the way to Connecticut to tell Harley’s daughter she had a daddy who wanted to know her. It seemed like it ought to be a good deed, but when Zoe went ahead and passed out right into his arms, Wade started to doubt it.

Of course, he knew she would be surprised, shocked even, because who ever expected some stranger to show up and tell them their father wasn’t actually their father at all? Wade knew he would be stunned himself if it happened to him, not that it ever would. Old Earl was, without question, his daddy, and his momma’s one and only for as long as she lived.

It was strange how his mother’s voice came to mind so often, in so many situations that Wade would’ve lost track if he tried to count them. In dealing with Zoe, he hadn’t been quite so sure where to start, but then he recalled what his momma often said when he got awkward around her as she cried, which she did a lot towards the end.

“Don’t be afraid of a few tears, sweetheart,” she said, her arm around his shoulders, holding him tight. “Cryin’s as natural as laughter is, and sometimes, just as necessary for a soul to feel lighter.”

Wade remembered that and almost found a smile for the sentiment, but it never did make it any easier to see anybody cry, least of all girls. Zoe had been so upset about the whole thing, finding out the man she thought was her dad really wasn’t. Wade hadn’t given that part of the situation a whole lot of thought. He was just thinking how anybody ought to be pleased as punch to have a father like Harley, but of course, Zoe had loved the other guy first, thought of him as Daddy too long to not care anymore.

Half of Wade felt guilty yet for sticking his nose into somebody else’s family business, but the other half couldn’t regret what he was trying to do here. The truth was a good thing and everybody deserved to hear it, even when it hurt. That was something else his momma had said, many times, in fact.

Reaching for his watch on the nightstand, Wade squinted at the numbers and sighed one more time. He really did need to get some sleep, because it was a heck of a drive home tomorrow and he was no use to Shady if he didn’t do his share. Of course, he already got his money for the job, and had gone ahead and spent the larger part of it on a train ticket to get to and from Yale to see Zoe, but he was okay with that.

“I hope she’s okay,” he muttered to himself in the dark, thinking of the pretty girl with big, dark eyes that had watered terribly, even as she tried to be brave and strong.

She was such a little thing, but probably tougher than she looked, he reckoned. Wade could see himself getting to know Zoe better and liking her a lot, if he got the chance. Of course, that was only going to happen if she actually wanted to meet Harley and came to Bluebell and all. That was very up in the air right now and Wade knew he had to return home to tell the good doctor he had no idea what might happen next.

It wasn’t exactly good news to share, but it wasn’t so bad either. When the shock wore off, there was every chance Zoe would want to call up her real daddy and see if they couldn’t build some kind of relationship. Wade hoped so, for both their sakes, and quite honestly, just a little bit for his own sake too, because the idea of never seeing Zoe Hart again was all kinds of unappealing.

* * *

There was no way in the world for Zoe to sleep right now, and worries about her pregnancy were not the problem tonight. She knew she should get some decent rest, not least because she had classes to attend in the morning and a lot of reading to do besides, but it just wasn’t happening. Her mind was full of other things, other people, two in particular, actually.

Wade Kinsella was like no guy she ever met before, that was for certain. Zoe struggled to recall anyone in her life that came from his part of the country, but if he was a sample of what Alabama had to offer by way of men, she couldn’t exactly say he was a bad advocate. In other circumstances, she would have had to admit he was very attractive and would probably have flirted up a storm with the guy. As it was, there were much bigger things to deal with than that.

Dr Harley Wilkes, he was the other man on Zoe’s mind, though she never met him and had no idea what he looked like now, only how he had appeared twenty years ago, before Zoe herself was ever born. Sitting up in bed, she flipped the lamp back on and reached for the letter and photograph hidden in the nightstand. Staring at the picture, Zoe shook her head in wonder. Her mom, seemingly in love with another man.

It was crazy to Zoe, completely absurd. Sure, she knew her mom must have dated before marrying Ethan Hart, and she had certainly had her share of guys since then, in some form or other, but she and Harley really looked like a couple in this photo she held in her hands now, like it had been a true love affair.

“It’d be nice to be the product of true love,” she said softly to herself, though Zoe wasn’t sure that was exactly what she was seeing when she looked at the young couple.

After all, if Harley had meant so much to Candice, why hadn’t she married him instead, especially when she knew she was pregnant with his child? Why choose Ethan at all? Why lie for all these years and even now keep the truth hidden?

There was only one way to answer any of her questions, Zoe knew, but that meant confronting her mother, preferably face-to-face, given the serious nature of the conversation to be had.

It was impractical to fly off to New York now, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the semester. As Zoe just reminded herself minutes before, she had classes tomorrow, though now, she was beginning to reconsider how very important they were. After all, a few months from now, she was going to have to drop out anyway, at least for a while. A person couldn’t attend Yale at nine months’ pregnant and especially not right after giving birth.

The photograph dropped onto the bed as Zoe covered her face with both hands and tried to suppress a scream. The noise she could muffle and hold back, but the tears were less easily controlled. They flowed freely from her eyes, leaking between her fingers onto the bed spread and making her so angry with herself.

She knew she ought to be stronger than this, she had been before, but some things were just too much, enough to break even the strongest soul. Having her life turned upside down, first by her own unexpected development, and then, by her mother’s own adventure in unplanned pregnancy many years before, it was all too much to handle, especially when she couldn’t tell anyone about it.

Zoe almost wished that she had Wade’s number or knew where he might be staying. At least he could’ve talked to her about Harley, about her real father. Not that knowing more about him would fix anything or make Zoe feel better about her mother’s lies. It certainly wouldn’t help her handle her own situation with the baby, and nobody was going to help her with that, especially not Logan who helped her get in this mess in the first place.

What Zoe needed was her mother, to advise her about the pregnancy, maybe, but certainly to get some answers about the past and her own parentage. Within a minute, Zoe had completely made up her mind about what she wanted to do, diving out of bed and grabbing up her clothes to get dressed.

“Clearly unplanned pregnancy is genetic,” she muttered, scooping up the fallen letter and picture and shoving them safely into a zipped pocket on her purse.

Next, she made a grab for her travel bag and pulled in a couple of changes of clothes, her washbag, and all the essentials for a trip home. She would probably only be gone a couple of days, Zoe wasn’t sure yet. She only knew she had to go and it had to be now. Nothing was going to get fixed for as long as she was at Yale. Only New York and Candice had the answers, so that was where Zoe was going.

Two minutes later, with her hair pulled up in a scruffy ponytail and her feet shoved in her comfiest rather than most stylish shoes, Zoe moved through the dorm to Katie’s door and tapped on it.

“Katie? Katie!” she hissed when the knocking didn’t work the first or second time.

“Zoe?” she called, the light coming on under her door as she finally came to see what was going on.

With a green face mask pasted all over her face and her hair tied up in bendy curlers, Zoe got quite a shock when she finally saw her friend, but to be fair, maybe Katie was getting the bigger surprise.

“What is going on?” she asked, eyeing Zoe and her bag with some alarm. “Are you leaving? Is it because of that guy that came to see you? Zoe, are you in trouble?”

“Katie, please,” she urged her to be calm and quiet for a minute. “I’m not leaving permanently. At least, I don’t think I am,” she considered. “Anyway, it’s not exactly to do with Wade, and I’m not exactly in trouble. Well, kind of, but not because of Wade. It’s really complicated.”

“You keep on saying that but you never explain.” Katie sighed. “Please, Zoe, I’m worried about you.”

If only she had said anything else, Zoe might have held it together, but sympathy from someone who had been a good friend for many months now threatened to break her completely all over again. Forcing a deep breath through her lungs, she managed to keep the tears mostly at bay, swiping away one single droplet that tried to make an escape down her cheek.

“Katie, I promise, when I have all this figured out, I will tell you everything,” she told her definitely, gripping her hand tightly. “You are such a great friend and I know I have not held up my end in this dorm-mate thing, but I will. I will explain, but right now, I have to go.”

“Go where?” Katie insisted on knowing before she would give up her own grip on Zoe’s hand.

“Home, to New York,” she explained. “I need to talk to my mother about some things and then... then I’ll be back... probably,” she muttered the last part, almost hoping Katie didn’t really hear it.

Chances were good that she had, from the way she made a real grab at Zoe, holding her tight for a few seconds and telling to call if she needed her for anything at all. Zoe almost suspected Katie had figured something out, whether the pregnancy part or the paternity thing, she couldn’t be sure, but it ought to be plain that something was wrong, she supposed.

“Okay, so, I’m gonna go,” she said as they finally parted.

“Take care of yourself,” her friend told her, nodding her head.

“I will,” Zoe agreed, waving her hand briefly and then exiting the dorm.

Out in the darkened hall, she took another deep breath and steeled herself for what was to come. She had a few hours before she actually saw her mother, but boy, did Zoe already have a list as long as her own leg of things she wanted to say, ask, demand, yell. Candice Hart was not going to know what hit her


	6. Chapter 6

“Zoe, sweetheart, what are you doing here?”

Before Candice had hardly finished posing the question, her daughter barrelled past her into the apartment, an expression like thunder on her face. She ought to start with pleasantries, build up to the explosion, Zoe knew, but she had been holding all of this stuff in for too many hours and now she was fit to burst with anger, frustration, confusion, and betrayal.

Turning around in the middle of the room to face her startled mother, she didn’t give her a chance to ask what was wrong, or even get the front door fully closed before she yelled at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me Ethan Hart isn’t my real father?”

It wasn’t the question she meant to start with. Honestly, there was every chance she was the victim of a very cruel joke and had just accused her mother of a despicable thing that wasn’t even true. Still, Zoe wasn’t too worried about that. Having read and re-read Harley’s letter, studied the accompanying picture, and replayed everything that had passed between her and Wade in her mind, she had long ago come to the conclusion that it was all true. It was the only thing that made sense.

“Oh, that foolish old man,” said Candice, all the colour draining from her face as she leaned her back against the now closed door and let her eyes fall shut.

“Who are you talking about?” asked Zoe crossly. “Could it be, oh, I don’t know, Dr Harley Wilkes of Bluebell, Alabama?” she yelled, pulling out the picture and thrusting it in her mother’s face. “Is this the guy, Mom? The one you clearly used to be pretty damn close to. Close enough to make a baby!”

“Zoe, please, calm down,” Candice urged her, taking the photo from her daughter’s hand and staring hard at it.

“Are you kidding me?!” Zoe exploded one more time. “How can you possibly ask me to calm down? You lied to me! You lied to Dad! Oh, I’m sorry, to Ethan Hart, because apparently, he’s not my dad at all, is he? Is he?!”

“No, he’s not!” her mother yelled back, clearly becoming frustrated too, not that Zoe was prepared to care about that.

“So, it’s Harley? He really is my father?” she doubled-checked, hating that her voice was breaking badly before she was even done asking the question.

She had known it had to be true, because it made so much more sense than it being a lie, but until her mom actually confirmed it, she could never be 100% sure. It seemed there was no margin of error here, no possibility of a mistake, as Candice slowly nodded her head.

“Yes, Zoe. Your real father is Harley Wilkes, the man in this picture,” she confirmed, pushing the photograph back into her daughter’s hand.

That was when the tears came. Zoe was becoming used to them now, she had cried so many, first over her own unexpected pregnancy news, and more recently over this whole paternity issue. As the wave of emotion hit her and the adrenaline wore off, she backed up a few steps and sat down heavily on the couch, her face in her hands. This was all too much, way too much, but she had to come and get the truth. Now she had it, she wasn’t really sure how much better she felt for it.

“Oh, sweetheart,” said Candice, suddenly beside her and putting a comforting hand to her back.

Zoe flinched away from the contact and turned red-rimmed, blazing eyes on her mother.

“How could you do that?” she asked desperately. “I don’t understand how you could lie to me like that, for almost twenty years. You lied to Dad, you kept me hidden from Harley. Why?”

To her credit, Candice did look sorry and awfully pained by what had happened. Zoe didn’t want to feel bad for her, not when it was all her own fault, but it was tough not to. After all, she was still her mom. Besides, maybe she should give her a chance to explain. She might have a good reason for her behaviour, not that she usually did, and not that Zoe could ever imagine a really good excuse for so many enormous lies.

“I wish I knew what to say, Zoe.” Candice sighed, looking older and more tired in that moment than Zoe had ever seen her. “I... I want to explain”

“Then explain,” Zoe urged her. “Explain why my entire life has been a lie! This is the answer to everything, isn’t it? Why Dad stopped loving me? Because I wasn’t his to love. He knew, didn’t he?”

Candice sighed, her hand at her head. “When you were ten, you fell off the swings, they thought you would need a transfusion, but when he donated blood... He tried to stay in your life, but I guess it was too hard.”

“That’s why he left? And what about Harley?” Zoe wanted to know. “Why not tell me about him? What, is he a psycho? A pervert? Because he reads like a really decent guy.”

“He was... he was just a mistake. I met him on a cruise. It was Greece. He was handsome, older, a gentleman. It was a fantasy, but I was engaged to someone real.”

It sounded like a bad romance novel, the way she explained it, except those usually ended happily ever after. Zoe couldn’t see her life, the life of her mother and the man she thought was her father, as a fairytale at all. Then there was Harley, who had apparently known about Zoe himself only for a little while and been too afraid to come busting into her life at such a late stage.

“Did you love him?” she asked then, needing to know and not even sure why she did.

Candice shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I did not belong with him, just as my child does not belong where he is,” she said firmly. “Zoe, I gave you a father who was from our world. I protected you.”

“That should’ve been my choice!” she yelled back at her, even though it changed nothing now.

“I am sorry, Zoe, okay? I am truly, deeply sorry,” Candice told her, but that didn’t make any difference either, not after so long, not after all the lies.

“You think that makes it okay?” asked Zoe, shaking her head. “I found out from some stranger that my dad isn’t my father. This guy showed up at Yale and handed me this letter from Harley. I was so shocked, so embarrassed. I should have been able to defend you, Mom. I should’ve said I didn’t believe any of his stupid scam. I should’ve told him to go to hell and just move on with my day, but do you know what, mother? I couldn’t do that, because this made too much sense,” she said, waving the letter and picture like a weapon against her mom. “I just knew it was true. Somehow, it just made sense of everything. Why Dad was so cold with me after the divorce, why you didn’t seem all that concerned about it, even why you have such a weird frickin’ problem with anything to do with Alabama!”

“Zoe, please,” her mother tried to reason with her. “It’s really not as simple as you’re making it sound. You know, I was young and confused and... well, quite honestly, unless you’ve ever been in that position yourself, you couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Well, that’s just where you’re wrong, Mom!” Zoe told her loudly, getting up from the couch and practically yelling in her face. “See, that level of stupid runs in our family. Apparently, the whole unexpected pregnancy at a young age thing? Genetic!”

This wasn’t at all how she rehearsed it and the moment the words were out of her mouth, Zoe regretted them. She wanted to hurt her mom after the way she caused her such pain. She wanted to shock her, make her head spin around and explode with the news, but it wasn’t the right way and it didn’t help. The look of shock and horror on Candice’s face right now wasn’t amusing and didn’t make her feel any better at all.

“Zoe, no. Tell me you’re not...”

“Sorry, can’t do that.” Zoe shook her head. “The truth is, I _am_ pregnant. It wasn’t planned and I’m not exactly proud of it or anything, but it’s true. And to think I was actually afraid of telling you,” she said then, humourless laughter bursting forth from her lips. “I was scared to admit to you that I was pregnant, and why? I mean, come on, Mom, I can’t handle it any worse than you did,” she said nastily. “At least I’m not going to marry the first guy that comes along and try to pass my baby off as his child without even telling the real father what he did!”

With that, she grabbed up her bag and headed for the door, her parting shot as good as it was ever going to get. She had one hand on the doorknob when her head started to swim and her knees shook beneath her. Now so was not the time for another bout of blacking out, but Zoe was pretty sure it was going to happen if she wasn’t careful. In spite of how mad she was at Candice, passing out in the stairwell was not a good idea, not when she could stay and be safe.

“Zoe, please don’t leave like this,” her mother urged her. “We need to talk, apparently about a lot of things.”

She had a point and Zoe didn’t really know how much longer she could stay standing. Besides, she had nowhere to go if she walked out of here, except back to Yale and that wasn’t a trip she was at all prepared for right this second.

“Fine,” she acquiesced, throwing down her bag and returning to the couch as gracefully as she could manage, which was not very. “Can I get a glass of water, please?” she asked grudgingly.

“Of course,” Candice agreed, probably noticing her daughter’s grey pallor and rushing away to the kitchen.

Zoe leaned forward with her face in her hands a moment, breathing deeply to get her bearings. If she stayed here, she was probably going to hear a lot of excuses she didn’t want, but at the same time, she might just get some better understanding of what really happened back when she was born. Zoe also knew that while her mom was in no position to judge about her own pregnancy now, she might be someone who would listen and understand, at least. Right now, Zoe needed that, not to mention some time to get her head together, before she decided what the next move was.

* * *

“I am so sorry, Harley. I mean, I’m not sure exactly what I thought would happen when I saw Zoe and told her everything. I gave her your letter and she saw the picture, so I’m pretty sure she believes what we said but...”

“But, what, Wade?” said the doctor with a good-natured smile. “You know, it wasn’t as if I expected you to bring my Zoe back here with you or anything like that. The poor girl had a shock, she needs time to get over that.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Wade sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I felt kinda bad when she got all upset and everything, but I still think she had a right to know you’re her dad. Everybody should know where they come from, right?”

“I think so.” Harley nodded his agreement. “And like I said before, I really appreciate your help in getting that information to her. I have to think it was better for her to have somebody there with her, rather than just a letter or a phone call, but it was probably still a little too much for her. I guess we’ll see, but for right now, I’m afraid I have to get myself off to the practice or I’ll have patients deciding they like Brick Breeland better than they like me,” he said with a chuckle as he got to his feet.

“Hey, nobody is ever gonna go ahead and do a crazy thing like that,” said Wade, laughing just the same. “I guess I should be gettin’ some work done myself. Money’s not gonna make itself.”

“You know, I do wish you’d let me reimburse you for your train ticket and everything.” Harley sighed. “You can hardly have made a thing outta that driving job you did for Nate Hilson.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Wade literally waved away his concerns. “I do just fine. Always have, always will,” he said, smiling as he saw himself out of Harley’s house.

It was only when he was out of sight that Wade let the expression falter. He was a fool to himself sometimes and he knew it. As if he ever really had enough money to make ends meet. It wasn’t so bad when Earl was fit to do some work of his own, but more and more often, he was drunk out of his mind and unfit to be anywhere but safe at home. It wasn’t as if Harley didn’t know that when he was the one who kept an eye on Wade’s father the past couple of days. It was probably part of the reason why he offered him the money in the first place, since he had seen how the Kinsellas were living.

“You got too much pride, man,” Wade told himself as he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed on down the street.

Not that he exactly regretted turning down Harley’s offer. He also couldn’t regret making the trip to Connecticut to see Zoe Hart either. All he could do know was hope that the poor girl figured out that Harley was worth the knowing and call him real soon. Though Wade didn’t really know her at all, he did know her daddy, and was sure that Harley could be a great father given half the chance. Besides, Wade sure as heck wouldn’t mind getting to know Zoe a little more. Maybe someday he’d get the chance. For now, all he could do was wonder what she might be doing, if she believed all that he told her, and how she might be dealing with that news he gave her.


	7. Chapter 7

Though Katie insisted she didn’t have to, Zoe kept her promise about telling her friend and dorm-mate everything when she got back to Yale. Two days in New York had been more than enough to deal with, given how strained things were between her and Candice right now, but at least Katie seemed to have an open mind as Zoe gave her the full story. She figured she may as well, after all, her own pregnancy would become common knowledge before too long, and as for the whole mess of her paternity, she supposed it didn’t matter too much if that truth was out either. It wasn’t as if she had done anything wrong herself, just been lied to for her whole damn life, that’s all.

Zoe actually started with the tale of her two fathers. To be honest, it was easier, and Katie was awfully curious about the mystery man who came visiting her friend a few days before.

“That’s the part that maybe had me the most freaked out. Who the hell was he?” she asked with wide eyes full of interest.

“That was Wade Kinsella,” Zoe explained with a smile she couldn’t help. “Before you ask, no, I have never dated him or slept with him or anything like that. The day he came here looking for me was the first day we met, but he was on a pretty serious mission.”

She went on to explain about Harley, going so far as to show Katie the letter and the photograph. Before she had a chance to ask if she really believed the story she had been told, Zoe confirmed that she had talked to her mother about the whole thing.

“It was why I had to go home all of a sudden. I mean, it was all too much. Only Candice could tell me if this was all for real or not. Apparently, it is.”

“Oh my God!” Katie gasped. “So... you’re not Zoe Hart?”

“Well, I am, officially, on paper,” said Zoe, considering carefully. “I guess, biologically, I’m Zoe... Wilkes,” she said, frowning a little at how that sounded. “I don’t think I’m actually going to change it, at least, not now. It’s not like I even know this guy yet,” she said of Harley. “He may be my dad by blood but... well, he’s pretty much a stranger so far.”

“He looks... friendly,” said Katie, studying the photograph some more. “Kind of old though, you know, compared to your mom. Sorry,” she apologised right after as she handed to picture back.

Zoe laughed. “It’s not like you’re insulting me. Besides, he is older, from what my mom said.” She sighed. “She gave me a lot of excuses but not much more information than I already got from this,” she said of the letter in her hand still. “Anyway, that’s what most of the fuss was about the last few days. My DNA is a little less New York and a little more Alabama than we thought.”

She wondered then if Katie would pick up on her exact words, if she would question what the rest of the fuss was if the paternity issue was only most of it. Zoe wanted to share her other news, in a way, but in another, she almost didn’t.

“Okay, so, now I’m confused,” Katie admitted, shaking her head. “And I really hope when I tell you this you don’t hate me.”

“Why would I hate you?” Zoe checked, frowning at the very idea.

“Well... I know you said that Wade guy wasn’t an ex or anything, and I do believe you, but before, when he came here, I figured that’s maybe what he was, and given the weird way you’ve been acting lately... Oh, God, you _are_ going to hate me,” she said, face-palming before she even confessed what was on her mind.

“Katie, come on,” Zoe urged her, pulling on her arm until she could see her face again. “Tell me, what did you think? That me and Wade were dating? Because I’m not offended by that. I mean, seriously, he was off-the-chart hot.”

“Yeah, I guess he kind of was.” Katie giggled. “But I just thought that maybe he was... you know, your... well, baby daddy?” she said uncertainly.

Zoe opened her mouth to respond to that, but no words came out. After all, that last sentence took more than a little processing. If Katie thought Wade was an ex or even a current boyfriend of Zoe’s somehow, then it wouldn’t be a stretch for her to think they slept together, she supposed. It was the baby part that had Zoe rattled.

“You... you know?” she checked. “Katie, how did you know I was...?”

“I didn’t.” Katie shook her head definitely. “I mean, I kind of thought maybe, that’s all, and then with the mystery hottie showing up-”

“You added two and two and made a family,” Zoe guessed, almost laughing at the very idea.

Poor Wade, he didn’t deserve the attitude he got from Katie the day he showed up at Yale to see Zoe. He certainly didn’t deserve to be accused of being some shiftless ex who abandoned a girl after getting her pregnant. Not that Zoe could say for sure that he wasn’t that kind of guy, she really didn’t know him at all, but it still seemed wrong that he got that rep here somehow, even if it was only with Katie.

“Okay, so, yes, I am pregnant,” she admitted, a little surprised by how easy it was to say actually, “but no, it is _not_ Wade’s baby. I seriously did only meet him here the other day, for the first and probably last time.”

Katie nodded in understanding and Zoe went on to explain about Logan, only shedding a few tears when she had to mention the part where he had no plans on being a part of the baby’s life or even acknowledging he or she existed.

“Guys suck!” Katie declared, pulling Zoe into a big sisterly hug.

“Some of them really do,” she agreed, hugging back, “but I don’t care about Logan. I care about me and my baby. Don’t ask me what I’m going to do about any of this, because right now, I have no idea. All I do know for sure is, I could never... I mean, I can’t just get rid of this baby, I can’t. I know it’s an option and I get that it’s the choice some people make, I’m not judging, but for me... I just couldn’t,” she said, shaking her head.

“So, you’re going to have it. A baby,” said Katie, looking awkward and pained. “How are you going to even do that? I mean, Yale, medical school, being a doctor, it’s all...”

“Blown to hell?” Zoe filled in for her. “Probably, yeah. I mean, I guess there are options for me, I just have no idea what they are right now. It’s something I need to look into, at some point.”

“Does your mom know? About the baby, I mean?”

“I told her.” Zoe nodded. “Not in the best way, but I was pretty mad at her. She knows I’m pregnant, she knows about Logan, but I didn’t say anything else. As far as I’m concerned, it’s none of her business what I do with my baby or my future. She didn’t exactly bother to consult me when it came to my past or my present,” she said bitterly.

Katie was sympathetic and kind, both of which Zoe really appreciated. Her friend also promised to be there for her in any way she could, which meant a lot. Not that Zoe expected Katie would really be able to do much, but when she returned to her room after their talk, she felt lighter somehow.

A problem shared was a problem halved, so they said, and no matter how she sliced it, Zoe did have some problems to deal with. She would have to speak to her guidance counsellor about the classes she missed the past two days, as well as how things would go when she had to drop out to have the baby. Then there was the whole Harley Wilkes thing.

Sitting down on her bed, Zoe took another long look at the photograph he had sent her, then shifted her eyes to the letter that it came with. There at the bottom was an address, plus two numbers, one for a landline, one for a cell phone. Picking up her own phone, Zoe put her thumb over the keypad and then paused. She wasn’t sure whether she should do this, she wasn’t certain she was ready, but then, she considered, when would she ever really be ready to talk to her real father who she hadn’t even known existed a week ago?

Taking a deep breath, Zoe began to dial. Putting the phone to her ear, she listened to it ring, once, twice, three times, before the machine kicked in. Zoe hung up fast, then with another deep breath, began dialling the cell number instead. She wasn’t sure whether she was relieved or disappointed when that went to voicemail too, but she did know she couldn’t leave a message.

That wasn’t the way this should be. She didn’t want the first contact with her real dad to be nothing but a voice tripping over words on an awkward message. It ought to be a real conversation or maybe even a real meeting. Zoe’s eyes strayed to the address at the bottom of the letter again.

“How far is Alabama anyway?”

* * *

“Damn and blast it!”

Wade was a little stunned to hear the doctor cussing in such a way. He really wasn’t the kind on a normal day and especially not on a Sunday!

“You okay, Harley?” he asked as they met crossing town square. “Anythin’ I can help you out with?”

“Oh, no, no,” he insisted, shaking his head at his cell phone still. “Seems I missed a call on this thing while I was in church. I just can’t seem to find out who I missed.”

“Here, let me take a look,” Wade offered, taking the cell from Harley the moment he offered it to him. “I’m no expert myself, but I’m pretty sure... yeah, here it is. This here is the number that called you, but it’s not anybody you know, otherwise their name would be there too.”

“Blasted new-fangled phones.” Harley sighed. “Now, I know I need one so folks can get a hold of me no matter where I am, but I’ll tell you, I managed just fine for years enough doctoring folks without all this technology.”

Wade bit his lip and tried not to laugh. Though life ran just a little slower in the south than other places, and much more so in the smaller towns than the cities, it was the older folk that seemed to struggle so much with ‘new-fangled’ inventions. Wade knew he shouldn’t be amused, but it was tough sometimes.

“Hey, you think maybe that was Zoe tryin’ to call you?” he asked, lowering his voice just in case anybody else was listening in - somebody always was in Bluebell.

“Oh, I surely hope not.” Harley sighed. “If I missed her...”

“Come on, now. If it was her, she’ll call again,” Wade said definitely. “And there’s a chance it wasn’t her anyhow. Coulda just as easy been a wrong number or something.”

“I guess you could be right. Well, now I have this number, I could call it back, but I’d feel a fool if it was just a wrong number,” said Harley with a sigh, pushing the phone back into pocket. “After all that, I could use a long sit and a cool glass of lemonade. You wanna join me, son? I think it’s the least I could offer you after all your help lately.”

“Not that I wouldn’t love to, Harley, but I should be gettin’ back to Earl,” he said with a look. “He ain’t havin’ the best day himself.”

Harley nodded in understanding, patting Wade on the shoulder. “You need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks.” Wade nodded once and then he was on his way, feeling just a little better for knowing he had somebody watching out for him that way.

His mind started wandering as he headed back home, thinking on that missed call that Harley had. Maybe it was Zoe Hart. Maybe she might call again and say she wanted to come visiting or some such. Wade wasn’t sure why that idea put a smile on his face, but it surely did.

* * *

“Well, it sounds like you’ve had quite the week,” said Ms Marshall, the guidance counsellor.

“Can’t argue with that.” Zoe shrugged her shoulders. “I’m just... well, I’m kind of not sure where I go from here. I know, technically, I can keep on attending classes and everything, at least for the rest of this semester, but after that...”

“After that, of course, your pregnancy will have progressed.” Ms Marshall nodded her head. “Well, the decision really is yours alone to make, Ms Hart,” she said, not unkindly. “I can offer advice, literature for you to read, support if you need it, but I can’t make a decision for you about your pregnancy or your career at Yale.”

“I know that.” Zoe nodded easily. “I’m totally aware that this all comes down to me. I guess I’m just looking for options, you know, for my education. I already know I’m keeping the baby, so it’s just figuring out if I could still come here somehow or what the other choices are.”

“That I can help with,” said Ms Marshall, rummaging in a desk drawer, presumably for pamphlets and such.

Zoe hadn’t bothered to explain too much detail about the whole two fathers story. She glossed over it as a family crisis she had to go deal with and talked mostly about the whole unexpectedly falling pregnant thing. Ms Marshall seemed okay in dealing with that. After all, she had probably been here before with other girls, Zoe supposed, and was quite willing to provide information regarding what Zoe might do in going forward with her education.

Of course, that didn’t mean that the situation with Harley wasn’t on Zoe’s mind too. Maybe later she would try calling him again. Maybe she could just write him a letter like he did for her, though of course, her’s wouldn’t be hand delivered.

Unless it was.

“Ms Hart?”

Zoe shook her head and came back to reality, smiling at Ms Marshall and thanking her for the pamphlets she handed to her. She was being so helpful, Zoe really ought to pay attention, but her mind kept on wandering. She could see out the semester before she left Yale and then come back later, if she could get childcare, or she could enrol somewhere else to continue her courses. There were other schools all over the country that she could go to instead, if she wanted to. Transferring wouldn’t be so hard. There were certainly a lot of options to consider.

“Thank you, Ms Marshall,” she said gratefully when their meeting was finally over. “You’ve really helped a lot.”

“If you need anything else, you know where to find me,” she said, smiling as they both stood up. “Good luck to you, Ms Hart.”

“Thanks,” said Zoe, turning to go. “I have a feeling I might be needing that.”


	8. Chapter 8

Wade was officially exhausted and not at all sorry that he was done working. Earl’s bad day last Sunday had turned into a bad week and it was only with some serious help from Harley that they got through it at all. He checked in with Earl when Wade had to work and between them they managed to keep him out of too much trouble, but all in all, there just wasn’t a drop of energy left in Wade right now. He needed sleep and intended to spend as much of Sunday catching up on that as he possibly could. He just had to get himself home first, which meant driving back from Daphne late on a Saturday. Tired as he was and with the light disappearing fast, he probably shouldn’t be in charge of a vehicle at all, but he had no choice. He had to get home and so he kept on going, turning up the radio and hoping the music would keep him awake enough to make it.

Glancing up from the radio, he was shocked when his headlights caught on a figure a little further on up the road. Wade blinked hard and tried to focus on the person, as Johnny Cash sang loudly about walking the line. Since the figure up ahead seemed to be a real pretty girl, Wade started to wonder if she was just a mirage, but then the sound of the truck engine or the music, maybe both, seemed to get her attention and she turned around to look right at him. It was a testament to some amazing reactions that Wade kept the truck on the road at all when he realised he knew those big brown eyes.

“Zoe Hart?” he said, pulling to halt right by her.

He was absolutely sure it was her, unless of course he fell asleep at the wheel some miles back, crashed the truck, and this was all some crazy coma dream he was having, which seemed strangely possible right now.

“Wade?” she said, shaking her head and laughing. “Wow, I know you said you were from a small town, but what are the odds of running into the one person I know from around here like this?”

“We get them kind of coincidences more than you’d think in these parts,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes travelling down Zoe’s body and taking note of the large bag in one of her hands, then the pull-along case she dragged with the other. “Seems to me you could use a ride into town,” he said, immediately climbing out of the truck to help her.

“Thank you,” she said gratefully, handing him her luggage to be stowed in back. “Um, I really appreciate it. I just... the bus dropped me off and... well, I started walking but...”

When Wade turned back from putting her bags into the truck, he found that Zoe’s words weren’t coming out disjointed just out of embarrassment or her not knowing what to say. There were tears welling in her eyes and she was biting her lip awful hard.

“Hey now,” he said, feeling more than a little awkward, much as he had the first time they met and she got all upset over the news he had to share. “Uh, you’re okay. I mean, I’ll get you to Bluebell safe and sound,” he assured her.

“Thanks,” Zoe forced out, visibly swallowing hard. “Not that I’m even sure what I’m going to do when I get there. I mean, I came to meet Harley Wilkes but... but he doesn’t know I’m coming,” she admitted, sniffing as she glanced away and shivering a little too. “I really didn’t plan this well.”

Wade sighed. “Look, I know this all is a crazy situation, and it’s probably tough on you, finding out your dad ain’t your dad and all, but I can tell you two things for sure,” he said definitely. “One is that Harley Wilkes is just about the nicest guy you could ever meet, and two, well, he’s gonna be so happy to see you, Zoe. I swear to God, he will just love that you came visiting.”

It was a pleasure to see her smile when he said that, even if it didn’t seem to entirely stop her tears. Zoe swiped at her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“Thank you, again,” she said, seeming to find her inner strength or whatever it was she needed to set herself right. “So, I guess we should go.”

“Guess we should do that,” Wade agreed, moving to open the passenger side door and usher Zoe into the truck.

As he closed the door behind her and headed on around to the driver’s side, Wade found he was feeling ten times more awake than he had been just a few minutes ago. He supposed shock could perform such miracles and it surely had been a real surprise to see Zoe Hart right there on the side of the road. Climbing into the truck beside her, he hadn’t realised he was staring until she called him on it.

“Do I look awful?” she asked worriedly, rummaging in her purse and coming up with a mirror to check her face.

“Honestly, I got an idea that ain’t even possible for a girl like you,” said Wade, shaking his head in the next moment as he realised now so wasn’t the time to seem like he was hitting on her.

Not that he wouldn’t like to ask her out some time, but when she just arrived in a place she didn’t know and had been found wandering on the side of the road in the dark, crying over her whole situation, probably wasn’t the right time at all. Concentrating on starting the engine and getting them to where they needed to be, Wade made a point of turning the volume down on the blaring radio before setting off.

“Huh. This is like your theme song, right?” said Zoe, smiling a little, now apparently satisfied that she looked okay since she put the mirror away.

“Skynyrd does have a special place in all our hearts,” Wade admitted as ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ poured from the speakers. “I’m guessin’ you’ve never been this far south before?”

“Never,” Zoe confessed. “No offence, but it’s kind of like a whole other world.”

“I get that.” Wade nodded along. “Felt the same way to me when I came up north to find you before.”

Immediately he said it, he wished that he hadn’t. Him going to find Zoe, it was what started this whole thing off. If Wade hadn’t kept on needling at Harley, convincing him to get into contact with his daughter, then Zoe wouldn’t have cried so much as she probably had these past couple of weeks. Of course, she also wouldn’t be there now, set on coming to Bluebell and meeting Harley. Wade had to think, in the long run, he did the right thing.

Zoe sighed. “Seems crazy, doesn’t it? I mean, you coming to find me, to tell me I have this dad that I knew nothing about, and now, I’m here, in Alabama, and you’re the one who found me out here in the dark.”

“Well, maybe fate is tryin’ to tell us somethin’, Zoe Hart,” said Wade, finding her a smile as he glanced her way then back to the long, dark road to Bluebell. “I guess you and me are goin’ to be real good friends.”

“Oh, is that what you think, Wade Kinsella?” she asked with a look that he wasn’t quite sure how to take, but since it came with a kind of a smile attached, he would take it with thanks.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, nodding his head as he passed the town sign. “Welcome to Bluebell, Zoe.”

* * *

Zoe was just starting to relax, sitting in Wade’s truck, playing at being friends with a (very cute) guy that was practically a stranger, while semi-familiar country music played in the background. For a little while, it was easy to forget where she was and why, to put out of her head the hurry for the airport, the bumpy flight down from Connecticut to Alabama, and the reason why all this had occurred in the first place. Then they passed the sign that welcomed them to the small town of Bluebell and suddenly Zoe’s heart was in her mouth again.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be there, that anybody had made her come along. She made this choice. She was the one who decided to run away from college and home and all she knew in the north, to come meet a man she hadn’t known existed a couple of weeks ago, but that she now knew was her biological father. When she made the decision to make this trip, it seemed like such a sensible thing to do, though right now, Zoe couldn’t imagine how she ever came to that conclusion.

“Hey, you okay?” asked Wade as he drove through the town square complete with sweet little gazebo and a lot of benches and flowers. “You’re not gonna throw up or anythin’, are you?”

Zoe shook her head. “I’m fine,” she promised. “Um, I was just thinking... Well, it’s late and Harley is probably sleeping, plus I don’t exactly look so great...”

“You need some place to crash for the night.” Wade nodded in understanding, one hand coming off the steering wheel to scratch the back of his head. “Well, I’d say you could come stay at my place, but it ain’t exactly fit for company, and my dad...”

It took Zoe a moment to realise what it was that Wade wasn’t saying. In their only other conversation, he had talked about his family, his mother who had passed away and his father who hadn’t coped well. As far as she recalled, he wasn’t exactly specific about what his problems were but they were clearly bad enough they didn’t have house guests.

“Um, it’s fine,” she said, looking around. “You think they’d have a room at the bed and breakfast over there,” she asked, pointing at a pretty building bearing a sign that stated it was called The Whippoorwill Blossom.

“Sure, I reckon Dash could find you a bed,” Wade told her, pulling up the truck outside of the place and checking his watch. “Uh, prob’ly best you let me do the talkin’,” he said, getting out and heading right on up to the door before Zoe could hardly blink.

She looked at her own watch then. It was ten o’clock, which wasn’t so late in New York, but for sleepy little towns like this, it was probably the equivalent of knocking on someone’s door at three in the morning. Zoe started wondering then if maybe that would actually be a more acceptable time to bother someone down here. Didn’t rural people get up early? Maybe that was only on farms.

A tap on the passenger window made Zoe jump from her thoughts and she opened the door when she realised it was Wade trying to get her attention.

“Dash says he’d be happy to put you up, just so long as you got money to pay, obviously,” he said, as he went to grab her luggage from in back.

“No problem there,” Zoe assured him, already rifling in her purse for her credit card. “Oh, they do take cards here, right?”

“Things might be a little slower here, Zoe, but we’re not that far behind,” Wade promised her with a grin. “Now, come on, girl.”

She followed him up the steps and was introduced to Dash, a dark-faced, wide-girthed, grinning man who made her feel very welcome with all his Southern hospitality. Of course, once they got to her room for the night and Wade put down her bags for her, Dash got a look on his face that Zoe was just a little fearful of.

“So, this is strictly a room for one,” he said, glancing between the two young people.

“And one is gonna sleep in it, Dash,” said Wade definitely. “I am just the chauffeur and the bellboy here. Zoe is the paying guest.”

There was a smirk on Dash’s face as he turned to go. “Whatever you say,” he said as he left, chuckling all the way.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” Wade apologised, rubbing the back of his neck a moment before his hands went to his hips. “It’s not... Well, he’s not implyin’ anything about you as such. It’s me.”

“It’s you?” Zoe checked, frowning a little. “You spend a lot of time renting rooms with girls and...” she stopped suddenly, wondering why she ever began. “Never mind, none of my business,” she said, waving it all away with her hand.

Clearly, Wade had a reputation of some kind, whether it was for being a little free and easy with who he slept with or something more transactional that she would rather not consider right now. She had the zipper open on her case and was concentrating on pulling out a change of clothes to sleep in and her wash bag when suddenly she realised Wade was next to her.

“Hey, I don’t know exactly what it is you’re thinking-”

“Nothing,” she told him fast, moving over a step, in case he should get the wrong idea. “I’m not judging you, and I am really grateful for the whole picking me up off the side of the road and finding me a place to stay thing. Honestly, I really am,” she told him definitely. “But right now, I need to sleep and you kind of look like you do too.”

Wade looked like he wanted to say more but then sighed and didn’t bother.

“Yeah, well, you may have a point there,” he admitted, “but just so you know, Dash has a big mouth, and I don’t... well, I guess I have had my share of female company of late,” he admitted, smirking just a little, “but I don’t want you thinkin’ I’m a bad guy or anything.”

“After everything you’ve done for me already? How could I think that?” asked Zoe, smiling genuinely.

That seemed to please him, to know he really had helped. The charming smile that she truly believed had brought many a poor girl into willing submission reappeared and she turned away, determined not to be the next in what was clearly a long line. That was the last thing she needed right now.

“So, uh, you’ll be headed over to Harley’s place tomorrow?” said Wade then, already halfway to the door.

“I guess so.” Zoe sighed, turning to look at him. “You really think he’s going to be happy to see me?”

“Trust me,” he said, nodding his head, “he is gonna be thrilled to the moon and back, no question.”

Zoe smiled one more time. “Thank you, again, Wade. Really, a lot.”

“Like I said, you and me are goin’ to be real good friends, Zoe Hart. I just know it,” he told her, tipping her a wink before he finally pulled the door closed behind him and left her alone with her thoughts.

Zoe almost wished he hadn’t. Not that she was looking for a guy to spend the night with, at least, not that way, but company was good, a friend was a nice idea. By herself, Zoe had to think about the real reasons why she was here, and though one was to meet Harley, the other was something she really couldn’t run from. Her hand went absently to her middle, that so far showed no signs of what was happening, but it soon would. North or South, daughter of Ethan Hart or Harley Wilkes, nothing was going to change the fact that Zoe Hart was nineteen, pregnant, and mostly alone, with no idea where she went from here.


	9. Chapter 9

When Wade Kinsella woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee, he wondered if he was having some kind of dream inside of a dream, or maybe just a full-on hallucination of some kind. Dragging himself out of bed, he ventured out of his room and was shocked to see Earl stood in the kitchen, seemingly making breakfast for the both of them.

“Good morning, son,” he said cheerily as he piled eggs onto plates that already held bacon. “Hope you’re hungry.”

Wade sighed and slumped down into the nearest chair. “It’s no wonder they started callin’ you Crazy Earl,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I’m guessin’ you’re feelin’ a whole lot better than you have been of late?”

“Woke up this mornin’ with a real good feelin’ inside o’ me,” said Earl with a grin.

Wade nodded that he heard, picking up a fork and starting to eat. He had barely taken one mouthful before his father started talking again.

“This is it, Wade. This time I have decided, no more liquor for me. No, sir, I am done with all o’ that.”

The fork full of eggs stilled half way to Wade’s mouth and he sighed. “That’s great, Dad,” he forced out before putting the food in his mouth, though it didn’t taste quite so good as it should.

It ought to be great to know that old Earl wanted to kick his worst habit, but unfortunately, this was about the hundredth time Wade had heard such a vow from him. It never did stick, not for too long anyhow. A few days, a week, maybe even a month and they would be right back where they started, Earl sobbing his heart out over a bottle of whiskey, or climbing up on the roof of the local hardware store and threatening to end it all, just for a little attention. Made Wade’s head spin just to think about it.

“So, you got any big Sunday plans now you’re feelin’ so much better?” he asked his father anyway, forcing down a little more breakfast.

“Well, I figure I’ll take myself off to church and then... well, I guess I’ll just see what’s happening with folks in town. It ain’t time for the Reverend’s pancake breakfast again, is it?”

“Heck if I know.” Wade shook his head. “But if you plan on headin’ into town, I can take you in the truck,” he said, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

Earl easily agreed to the plan and before long was off to get himself ready to leave. Soon done with his breakfast, Wade went to grab a shower and get himself dressed too. Chances were good that Zoe was up and about by now and probably worrying on what might happen when she went to call on Harley. Wade figured he should at least drop by the Whippoorwill and let her know she wouldn’t find her daddy at home this morning, because he would be at church the same as most other folks. Last thing he wanted was for her to be disappointed at all.

As Wade met Earl in the living room a half hour later, he couldn’t quite figure out why his father was smiling at him so much.

“Well, you look real smart, son,” he said happily. “You plannin’ on comin’ the service with me?”

“No,” said Wade definitely, shaking his head. “Why would you even think I would?”

“Like I said, you’re lookin’ real smart there. Don’t tell me there’s some new girl that has caught your eye,” he said, nudging Wade with his elbow and winking.

Wade rolled his eyes. “Liquored up or not, you’re still just as crazy as all get out, old man,” he said, smiling in spite of his words. “Come on now, let’s get to goin’.”

* * *

Zoe had slept surprisingly well given how nervous she was about her whole trip. Though the heat was a little more than she was used to and the room was not her own, the bed had proven to be so comfortable that she slept like a log and was reluctant to get up even when she was sure she should.

It didn’t bother her if she missed breakfast, not lately, with all the morning sickness that seemed to be hitting her full-force. She was only glad her room at the B&B had its own en suite so nobody could hear the vomiting. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long and once she was showered and dressed, she did feel more human again. A somewhat overheated human, even in the short-shorts and light shirt she had chosen to wear, but what could you do? Mostly, she was just happy to see her clothes covered her enough that nobody was likely to notice the slight curve of her stomach that wasn’t there before.

A knock on the door startled her a little and Zoe was unsure whether to expect somebody from housekeeping or Dash himself when she went to open it. She was surprised to find it was neither.

“Wade, what are you doing here?” she asked with a frown. “I mean, I’m sorry, that was rude, wasn’t it?”

“Not exactly,” he assured her. “I guess I surprised you, just showing up like this. Maybe I’m the one who’s bein’ rude?”

“No, no, of course not.” Zoe shook her head and ushered him into the room. “Yes, I am surprised to see you, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad surprise.”

“I think I would be offended if it was,” said Wade with a smirk she suspected meant he was at least half-joking. “So, uh, I was comin’ into town anyhow and I figured maybe you might want somebody to go along with you when you meet old Harley. I mean, it’s just an idea. I understand if you’d wanna go by yourself. He is your daddy after all.”

“Oh,” said Zoe, shifting in place. “Well, obviously, I _can_ go by myself, because he is my father and he did invite me to come here. I have the address, so it’s not like I really need an escort,” she recapped, worrying just a little when Wade seemed to head right back out of the door that he just came in, “but that doesn’t mean I’d exactly hate having one,” she added fast, smiling up at Wade when he turned to look at her.

Of course, the expression on his face then wasn’t exactly inspiring, which worried Zoe a little. She was about to ask what was wrong when he told her anyway.

“You feelin’ okay? You look kinda pale.”

“I’m fine,” she told him quickly, deliberately turning away and busying herself with folding last night’s clothes more neatly on the nearby chair. “It’s just, you know, the heat, and also nerves. Meeting my biological father for the first time, kind of a big deal.”

“Yeah, I guess it would be,” Zoe heard Wade say behind her.

She sighed softly with relief and hoped he didn’t hear. He was being a really nice guy in all of this, she couldn’t fault him, but she so was not ready to tell a person who was mostly a stranger that she was pregnant. It really was none of his business anyway.

“So, uh, are we going to see Harley now?” asked Zoe then, checking her watch. “I’m guessing he’ll be up and at ‘em at this time?”

“Yes, ma’am, but you won’t find him at home,” Wade told her with a look. “It’s a Sunday, Zoe, and this here is a real church-going kind of a town.”

“Church-going, right,” Zoe echoed, nodding her head.

“I’m guessin’ that’s not your idea of a good place to meet your daddy for the first time, you know, with the whole town standing alongside, watching your every move and such?”

“A world of no,” said Zoe, making a cutting motion with her hands. “No way. Also, not really a church-going person myself. I mean, technically, I’m half-Jewish, you know, from my mom, and half... non-denominational, I guess? Except that would come from my dad... Ethan Hart, and I guess he doesn’t really count. So, I’d be half-Christian like Harley, by birth anyway, right?”

“Beats me.” Wade shrugged easily. “Seems to me a person can be whatever they heck they want, no matter what folks before ‘em decide.”

Zoe was only glad he hadn’t made any comment on her epic and pointless ramble. It was the nerves that made her do it. Anyway, what Wade said was perfectly true. She didn’t have to be any particular denomination just because her parents were, and even if she were a church-goer, he was absolutely correct that she did not want to meet Harley for the first time in front of the whole of Bluebell.

“I’m guessing you’re not much of a church-goer yourself?” she asked Wade curiously.

“Put it this way, when all them good Christian folks get whooshed up in the Rapture, I’ll be what you might call the last man standin’.”

“Uh-huh.” Zoe nodded, unsure exactly how to take that.

Whether Wade was making a joke or being perfectly serious, she couldn’t say. She decided not to dwell on it too much. There was already far too much on her mind as it was.

“’Course, I used to go along, years back, with my momma.”

That part he looked like he wished he hadn’t said the second it was done and Zoe felt something break in her just to see the look on his face when he mentioned his childhood and his mom. Here was Zoe feeling so put out about the fact she just found out she essentially had two fathers as well as a mother, and there was Wade, with a mom he couldn’t ever get back and a dad that was suffering the effects of the loss yet.

“Talk about perspective,” she said, mostly too herself, though clearly loud enough in the quiet room for Wade to hear. “Um, so, if we need to wait for church to let out, you want breakfast? I mean, this is a bed and _breakfast_ , right? Somebody should be serving something. What do people down here have for breakfast anyway?”

Wade explained he had already eaten, but was happy to join Zoe and have himself a coffee while she ate herself. He couldn’t help the grin that came over his face as he followed her down to the dining room. She really was like nobody else he ever met before in his life and he liked her all the better for it. He also had a feeling that she and Harley were going to get along real well when they finally did meet. He only worried just a little about the shock the good doctor was going to get when he realised his daughter was really here.

It was part of the reason he came over to the Whippoorwill in the first place. Wade had a notion he might smooth things over a bit, break the news to Harley a little more gentle than him just opening the door to Zoe and her straight-talking ways. She sure could talk when she got going too, though Wade suspected much of her rattling on over breakfast was those nerves they talked about before.

“Hear those bells ringin’?” he said, putting his empty coffee cup back on its saucer. “That means the church service is over. Now, you gotta give ‘em a little time to work their way home, and that takes longer for some than others, you know, the gossips gotta have their fill o’ tales and all.”

“And then we can go see Harley,” said Zoe, seemingly taking a deep breath right after. “Which will be great.”

“Why am I not convinced by that smile?” asked Wade as he stared at her. “Zoe, you really don’t have to be so damn nervous. Harley wants to meet you. You’re his daughter, after all, and he was the one lookin’ you up. It ain’t as if when he finally gets the chance to know you, he’ll slam a door in your face. Come on, girl, get it together.”

“I know, it’s so stupid,” she said, shaking her head. “I just... Well, what if he meets me and I’m not what he expected? What if I disappoint him? Don’t you ever feel like you’re just not good enough?”

She actually looked like she was tearing up again when she said it and Wade really hated that.

“Hey, come on now,” he said, leaning across the table to pat her hand. “I know you ain’t known me too long, but you really believe I ever think I ain’t good enough for anybody?” he said with a wink, glad to see Zoe laugh at his bad joke. “And honestly, Zoe, I cannot imagine that you have ever disappointed anybody in your life. You sure as hell won’t disappoint Harley, because he is not expectin’ anything but to meet the daughter he has wanted to know for years now. You’re here, you did everythin’ he wanted you to do. ‘Sides, whatever he might be hopin’ for, he’s getting smart and beautiful. I’d say that’s a damn good start.”

“Thank you, Wade. Again,” said Zoe then, seemingly laughing at herself. “I seem to say that to you a lot, don’t I?”

“Yeah, well, how about you stop thanking me so much and get your coffee drunk so we can head out? I figure we go now, I can have you over to Harley’s place just about the same time he’ll be gettin’ back there himself, then we can get to making some real introductions.”

Zoe nodded her agreement, though she left the rest of her coffee untouched as she got up and followed Wade outside into the sunshine. It had occurred to her around halfway through that cup of caffeine-laced goodness that she should probably limit her intake now she knew she was pregnant. There were a lot of things she was going to have to think more carefully about when it came to this baby she was carrying, but right now, she had to put all that aside, just for a few hours. Today was about meeting Harley Wilkes, her natural father, and beginning to get to know him. Everything else could wait until later.


	10. Chapter 10

“Well, good morning, Wade,” said Harley with a smile as he opened up the front door to his friend’s knock. “What can I do for you on this fine Sunday?”

“Uh, actually, Harley, it’s more what I can do for you,” he said, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “See, the thing of it is, I got somebody here that’s lookin’ to meet you...”

Tilting his head towards a spot just out of sight on the porch, he moved aside a little, the same moment as Harley stepped out, and then there they were, father and daughter, finally face to face.

“Harley Wilkes, I would like you to meet Zoe Hart. Zoe, this is Harley, your dad.”

“Hi,” she said awkwardly, one hand popping up in a funny little wave.

Harley didn’t answer and it was only when Wade looked from Zoe to him that he realised why. There were tears welling up in that old man’s eyes, the emotion of the moment clearly having taken away his voice completely. Of course, if he didn’t say or do something soon, Wade was pretty sure Zoe was going to panic and bolt altogether. She was just about as skittish as a horse in its first parade, but thankfully, she didn’t get much chance to change her mind or anything. All of a sudden, Harley moved forward and pulled her right into his arms, holding her tight.

“Oh, Zoe,” he said as he hugged her. “My little Zoe.”

Wade wasn’t exactly the emotional type himself, but seeing that happen, watching as Zoe hugged her father back and told him it was nice to meet him, well, it got him a little choked up too. As the two parted, he cleared his throat and gestured down the road a ways.

“I should probably be headin’ out,” he said, moving to do just that. “Leave you two to be gettin’ acquainted.”

“Nonsense,” said Harley.

At the same moment, Zoe asked, “Do you have to?”

Wade looked between them and shook his head, unsure how to react to either thing.

“Come along now, Wade,” said the good doctor. “You know, Zoe wouldn’t even be here if not for you, and I for one would have no problem with you staying right here with us for a while, if Zoe doesn’t mind.”

“Really don’t,” she insisted, smiling up at Wade. “He’s right, we wouldn’t be meeting like this if not for you. Please, stay?”

Maybe he could’ve found a way to refuse old Harley if he had a mind to, but those beautiful brown eyes of Zoe Hart’s had some kind of voodoo in them, Wade was sure on that. He really could not walk away from her when she was looking at him that way, no matter how much of a fool that made him.

“Well, I guess I don’t have any place else I gotta be right now,” he admitted, even though getting home to catch up on some sleep would not have been a bad thing today. “If y’all are sure?”

“Perfectly sure,” Harley insisted, slapping Wade on the back then leading the way inside.

Zoe followed on, turning back from the door to look up at Wade, sporting a blinding smile. “I know we agreed I’d stop with this, but just one more,” she said quickly and quietly. “Thank you, Wade.”

“No problem, Zoe,” he assured her, following on into the house and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Within an hour of meeting her natural father, Zoe wondered why she had ever been even a little bit nervous. Harley Wilkes was just the nicest guy and so very happy to meet her at last.

As much as he insisted he was happy to tell her anything she might want to know about the Alabama side of her family tree, he was equally insistent on hearing all about Zoe herself. He asked about her education, her career goals, all her general likes and dislikes, and seemed genuinely interested in every answer. It was amazing to be given that kind of attention and Zoe revelled in it.

“Well, I never doubted you’d be the go-getter type,” said Harley with a smile as she finished telling him about her dream of being a doctor, preferably a surgeon, though she had purposefully skipped over the part where she had always planned to specialise in cardio-thoracics for the sake of her ‘dad.’ “You know, your momma was just so ambitious, and as much as I’ve led a fairly quiet life myself, I was so gosh darn determined at your age to make my way in the world as a doctor. I like to think you got that from me.”

“Probably.” Zoe nodded, feeling ever more foolish about not mentioning Ethan’s career now. “Although, well... um, this is awkward. My dad, well, not my dad, because that would be you, but my mom’s husband... ex-husband, Ethan Hart...”

“He’s a doctor too, as I understand it,” said Harley knowingly. “A heart surgeon?”

“Yes, cardio-thoracic specialist,” Zoe confirmed. “Obviously, that was an influence too.”

“Obviously.” Harley nodded in agreement. “You know, Zoe, you don’t have to feel bad on my account. I’m sure the man you looked to as your daddy is a very fine gentleman, who treated you and your momma well enough for as long as you were a family. I’m only glad to know you were well looked after, in my absence.”

Zoe felt a huge breath she seemed to have been holding in too long just drain out of her all in a rush. It felt really good.

“Okay,” she said then. “So, that’s good. I just didn’t... I mean, this is such a weird situation, you know?”

“I understand,” said Harley kindly. “Don’t you worry your head, sweetheart. I’m not blaming you for anything, or Candice either, not anymore. What’s done is done. Best thing we all can do now is move forward with our lives. No point in dwellin’ on all those years I missed with you. I only hope that maybe, in the future, you and I might at least get to be good friends. You think that’d be okay?”

“I think that would be great.” Zoe smiled widely.

They both turned as one then, attention drawn by a strange choking noise emitting from Wade as he came to very suddenly. He looked a little confused and Zoe didn’t wonder at it.

“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” she teased him without thinking. “Nice nap?”

Wade looked first at her and then Harley with wide eyes as he pulled himself up to properly sitting rather than sprawled right back in the comfortable armchair.

“How long was I out?” he asked, rubbing at his eyes.

“I’m afraid I hardly know.” Harley shook his head, then looked to the clock to check the time. “Well, my goodness, a couple of hours at least. I had no idea we were talking so long.”

“Me either,” Zoe admitted. “Although all this talking has made me a little dry. Could I get a glass of water please?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” Harley grumbled, getting to his feet. “I’ll go fetch us all some refreshments, give Wade here the chance to get his bearings,” he said, chuckling as he headed for the kitchen.

Zoe sighed a contended sigh, turning from watching Harley leave the room to find Wade staring at her.

“I’m sorry ‘bout that,” he said, making a vague gesture with his hand. “’S been a long week and I was comfortable and all. Guess I just drifted off.”

“It’s fine,” Zoe promised him. “I’m sorry, if I’d known you needed your rest I never would’ve asked you to stay here. It has to be pretty boring for you anyway, just listening to me and Harley exchange life stories.”

“You kidding me?” Wade shook his head. “This right here is what I was hopin’ for, from the second Harley told me he had a daughter out there in the world. Zoe, you remember what I said to you when I came to find you at Yale?”

She frowned a little at the question. After all, it wasn’t as if she was ever going to forget what he told her that day. Largely, it was that the man she thought was her father actually wasn’t at all and that Harley Wilkes, her real dad, was hoping some day to meet her. Clearly, Wade was referring to some other specific thing he said in that conversation, but she couldn’t think which one, and it must have showed on her face because he soon explained. 

“Far as I know, there’s not much that should matter to a person as much as family. I loved my momma somethin’ fierce and when she passed... well, that pretty much tore apart the rest of our family. Earl found himself in the bottom of a whiskey bottle, never did manage to kick the habit. Jesse, he’s my brother, he cut out before I was even grown, and me... well, that’s not important,” he said, shifting awkwardly in his seat and looking away. “Fact is, everybody needs people, even those who like to make out like they don’t. Harley looks out for anyone who’ll let him help, but he never had a wife or kids or whatever, and that never did sit right with me. Then suddenly he tells me he has you, somewhere out there, and I figured he at least deserved a shot to be the good daddy I knew he could be. Also, I had a notion maybe you might not mind havin’ one more person to call on when you need it too.”

Zoe nodded her understanding. She did remember him saying some of that stuff before, in her dorm room at Yale. She also recalled how it hit home extremely hard in her current situation. She was going to have to drop out of school, at least temporarily, and she was going to have to deal with having a baby in a few months’ time. One more person to call on when she needed it, Wade was so right, but Zoe hadn’t the words to explain just how right. Besides, the moment she even thought about trying, Harley returned to the room with a tray between his hands and a bright smile on his face.

“I brought water, just like you asked for, Zoe,” he told her, “but there was also some soda in the refrigerator and a pitcher of iced tea, so you can just take your pick. You too, Wade, help yourself,” he insisted, laying the tray down on the coffee table. “I can rustle up some snacks too, or maybe I could take you both out to eat, if you’d let me?”

“Uh, not for me, thanks all the same, Harley,” Wade said quickly, before Zoe could even open her mouth to give her own answer. “I should be headed home, get some more of that shut-eye that’s been alludin’ me of late, check in on Earl and all,” he explained, already on his feet.

“Oh, well, of course, if you need to go.” Harley nodded, getting back up himself to shake Wade’s hand with gusto. “Thank you, son, for everything you’ve done to make this happen. I don’t think you will ever know just exactly what it means to me.”

Wade just smiled at that, then said his goodbyes and headed on out, with Harley insisting on walking him to the door. Zoe felt a little odd after Wade was gone, though she couldn’t really have said why. She had no reason to worry about being alone with Harley, who was clearly the great guy that she had been assured he was. It was just that she liked having Wade there too.

“Not something to examine right now,” she muttered to herself, just as Harley returned to the room.

“You say something, honey?” he asked her, with the kind smile that seemed to have been on his face almost the whole time.

“Not really,” she told him, shaking her head. “Um, I was just thinking, Wade seems like a nice guy. How long have you known him?”

“Wade Kinsella?” Harley chuckled as he returned to his seat. “Well, just about as long as a person can know another person,” he explained, leaning in closer to speak as if in confidence. “I was the one who brought him into this world.”

“Oh,” Zoe gasped in understanding suddenly. “Of course, doctor, small town,” she said, pointing first to Harley and then making a whirling gesture to encompass Bluebell as a whole. “Right. That’s... nice?”

“It is what it is,” said Harley, shrugging his shoulders. “Yes, indeed, I have delivered more than my share of babies in this town. I’d say quite a few folks your age were helped out into the world by my own good self.”

Zoe tried to keep smiling and not squirm too much now talk had turned to babies and birthing. For all that she had told Harley about her life so far, she had kept her recent pregnancy discovery a secret up to now. A part of her wanted to tell him. Somehow, she just knew instinctively that he would understand and be nice about it all. At the same time, she had to admit that she really didn’t know him well enough to make that judgement yet.

It wasn’t as if she really thought he would be hard on her about it. He may be a church-going, upstanding Christian, from a small town, and as far as Zoe knew they tended to have pretty strict ideas about sex before marriage, but Harley could hardly peddle that routine to her given how she came into the world herself.

“Zoe?”

His softly speaking her name and his gentle hand on her arm didn’t startle her as such, just drew her attention to the fact she had completely zoned out.

“I’m so sorry,” she said fast. “I’m just... I have a lot going on in my head right now,” she confessed. “Understandable, I guess.”

“I’d say so.” Harley nodded along. “Now, I meant what I said about taking you out to eat someplace, but if you’re already feelin’ a might overwhelmed, I don’t suppose putting you amongst a lot of nosey folks would help any,” he said, smiling widely. “I may not be the world’s greatest cook, but I could rustle us up a little something, if you want to stay a while longer, of course?”

Zoe didn’t know how to say no to that, not when she had nowhere else to go anyway. Still, that wasn’t the only reason that she nodded her head and agreed to let Harley cook for her. Quite honestly, she was very comfortable here and didn’t mind at all spending a few more hours telling her natural father about herself and learning more about him in turn. Maybe at some point she might even mention the whole pregnant thing. Then again, maybe that would wait until another day.


	11. Chapter 11

“And he’s such a nice guy, like super-nice, not even in an over-the-top way that comes off creepy or weird, just naturally kind and sweet. He just wants to be my friend, if that’s what I want, but I get the feeling he would absolutely love to have a dad type role in my life, if I want to let him.”

“Well, isn’t that a good thing?” asked Katie, clearly baffled as to why her friend sounded so awkward and pained when she was saying all good things about Harley Wilkes.

“It should be good.” Zoe sighed. “Okay, it _is_ good, but it’s also bad because I’m lying to him, Katie.”

“Okay, I’m confused,” said her friend on the other end of the line. “He told you that he’s your real father. Your mom confirmed it. Where’s the lie?”

“No, the lie isn’t about me being his daughter,” Zoe insisted, shaking her head even though that was pointless because Katie could only hear her, not see her. “It’s more a lie of omission. I told him just about everything there was to know about Zoe Hart, ages 0 to 19, but I skimmed over one very important detail,” she admitted, dropping her voice a little lower before she spoke of it, even though she knew she was very much alone in her room at the Whippoorwill. “I didn’t tell him I’m pregnant.”

Zoe wasn’t sure what reaction she was expecting from Katie when she said that but it was not a big burst of noisy laughter. That actually made her jump so much she almost rolled completely off the bed she was currently sprawled on. She was about to complain about the strange outburst, when Katie started apologising for it anyway.

“I am sorry, Zoe. I swear I am, it’s just... well, how is that such a big deal to you?” she checked. “You just met the guy yesterday, and yes, okay, he’s your dad, but only by blood right now. You two don’t have a real connection yet. Why should you feel guilty for not telling him you’re pregnant?”

After giving that question due consideration, Zoe realised that Katie had made a very good point. Telling people, you were pregnant, that was a big deal. She was pretty sure most people started with just a few people that they were closest to and everybody else had to wait for the end of the first trimester. Yes, Harley was her dad, and would usually be the kind of person a woman might tell about a pregnancy, but until yesterday, he was also a stranger. Maybe she really didn’t owe him all the information so soon.

“Well, maybe I don’t have to feel bad about that,” she said eventually, “but I also lied about why I came here. I kind of implied Yale got out early for Thanksgiving.”

“Hmm.” Katie seemed to think hard before she reacted to that one. “Well, it’s only a little white lie. I mean, we do get out on Friday and you did get out early just, you know, not in an official way, right?”

“Right.” Zoe nodded to herself, since her friend couldn’t see her. “And it wasn’t even completely unofficial, because I did see all my professors before I cut out, got my assignments and everything, so... tiny white lie?”

“Tiny white lie,” Katie agreed easily. “With everything you’ve been through lately, you’re totally allowed that.”

Zoe smiled, thinking Katie must be right. After all, she wasn’t really hurting anyone by not mentioning her pregnancy or fudging the dates of her break from college. Besides, she would be staying for Thanksgiving, most likely, since she had nowhere else to be. There was no way in hell she was going back to New York and spending the holidays with her mother!

“So, I’ll bet they go all out for Thanksgiving in the south, right?”

“I guess so. I didn’t actually ask yet,” Zoe admitted. “It’ll be very different to New York, I suppose. Anything is an improvement on the huge party my mom will throw and the drunken mess that always follows,” she said with a sigh.

“Has she called you at all?” asked Katie curiously.

“So many times!” complained Zoe. “But I never answer. I just cannot deal with her right now. When I went to New York to confront her, she explained, she apologised, and I let her, but now I’m done. She has to understand that I can’t just forgive her and let everything be okay after something so major.”

“I get that,” her friend said softly. “I just can’t imagine having such a huge rift between me and my mom.”

“That’s because your mom is a good person.” Zoe smiled just thinking about Katie’s perfect little family unit. “If I had a mom and dad like yours, my life would be so much easier.”

Katie laughed. “They’re not perfect, you know? Sometimes they drive me crazy.”

“But at least you know they’re your parents and they always love you and have time for you, no matter what.” Zoe shook her head. “I’m sorry. Talk about bringing down the mood.”

“It’s okay. Like I said, you’ve been through a lot lately. You’re allowed to not be one hundred percent happy right now. I’m just glad you’re doing okay and that this Harley guy is nice.”

“So nice,” confirmed Zoe. “You know, he actually said I could stay at his house and everything? I declined. I mean, maybe, at some point that’d be okay, but for now I’m at this adorable B&B. Get this, it’s called The Whippoorwill Blossom.”

“That does sound adorable!” Katie giggled. “Is it all flowered curtains and lavendar-scented drawer liners?”

“Pretty much,” her friend told her, also laughing by now. “But it’s cute and even though the guy who runs it seems a little nosey, I’ve avoided answering any awkward questions so far,” she explained about Dash. “Wade seems to think people will assume that I’m just a friend of his, since he drove me into town and everything. I don’t actually think I mind that too much.”

“Hmm, I don’t think I’d mind that either,” Katie admitted.

“Ha! Says the person who accused him of all kinds of things the first time you met him,” Zoe reminded her.

“Yeah, well, it was weird!” her friend countered. “You have to admit, this whole situation was kind of unprecedented, but that does not mean I didn’t notice how hot your new guy is.”

“Katie! Wade is not my new guy!” Zoe exclaimed. “I mean, he’s... a friend, I guess, and I like him a lot, but so not a boyfriend or anything,” she said definitely, lowering her voice very deliberately as she went on. “As if I need that right now. I only broke up with Logan a couple of weeks ago.”

“Technically yes,” Katie agreed, “but you were already complaining that you’d hardly seen him for weeks before that.”

Zoe knew she couldn’t argue. She really wished she could, but the truth was, once she and Logan got to the point of having sex, he didn’t seem all that interested in seeing much of her, unless they were going to spend the time in bed. God, she could hardly believe she had been foolish enough to believe he was serious about her, that it was a real relationship worth pursuing. She had heard about his reputation with girls after all, but he had insisted she was different, that he was different because of her. It must have all been lies. As if she hadn’t had enough of those in her life already.

“Zo?”

“I’m here,” she said, shaking herself out of a daze, “but I should probably go, actually. As much as it’s great to hear from you, this call must be costing you a fortune.”

Katie insisted she didn’t care and that Zoe was worth it, but they still ended their conversation before too much longer.

Zoe sighed as she put her cell down on the nightstand and lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. One hand went absently to her middle. Soon, she would start showing, she was well aware of that, and then people were going to have to know about her pregnancy. She figured Harley would be okay with it when the time came. Strangely, it was someone else’s reaction that bothered her more, though she didn’t really want to examine why that was right now. It seemed fate had decided not to give her a choice as suddenly there was a knock on the door and when Zoe sat up and invited whoever it was to come in, it was Wade’s head who appeared in her room.

“Oh, hi,” she said, suddenly feeling hyperaware of being a little under-dressed and with her hair not as tidy as it would usually be. “Um, I wasn’t expecting visitors,” she said, immediately wincing at how lame that sounded as she ran a hand over her hair and straightened her shirt.

“I don’t wanna intrude or anythin’,” Wade insisted. “I just thought, since you don’t know anybody in town, ‘cept for me and Harley... well, I just thought I’d drop by, see if you needed anythin’ at all?”

Zoe smiled at that, because it was incredibly sweet. Of course, the way Wade was looking at her was a little less sweet and a lot more interested, for lack of a better term. It was kind of thrilling to know she was attractive to a guy like him, but what Zoe had just said to Katie minutes before still held true. She so was not in a position to be dating or anything right now. The very thought wiped the giddy smile off her face in a second and brought her back to earth with a bump.

“Um, no, thanks,” she said then. “I mean, I’m guessing you need to be at school or work or something and I’m just going to hang out here until Harley is done with work. Then he has all kinds of family pictures he wants to show me and we’re going to talk some more.”

It was tough to say why she felt so stupid and nervous right now. Zoe felt like she didn’t know what to do with her hands and couldn’t seem to keep her feet still. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been alone with Wade before, in close proximity to a bed, with people thinking there was more going on with them than there actually was.

“So, yeah, wherever you need to be, I don’t wanna hold you up,” she said then, stepping forward and almost ushering Wade towards the door.

“Oh, okay. So, I’ll be heading on out then,” he said, clearly a little startled by her need to have him leave, which Zoe might have felt bad about if she wasn’t more concerned about not looking like any more of an idiot than she already did. “But if you do need anythin’, anythin’ at all, I’ll be around,” he said as he left.

“I appreciate it, thanks.” Zoe smiled, even as she all but closed the door in his face.

When he was gone, she turned to put her back against the door and let out a long breath. Poor Wade, none of this was his fault, but right now he was giving her feelings she really didn’t have room for, which seemed all the more significant since her talk with Katie.

“So not the time!” she told herself crossly.

Sadly, it didn’t make any of those pesky attracted feelings go away.

* * *

Wade was literally scratching his head as he walked down the street towards work, wondering on Zoe’s behaviour this morning. He figured since the only two people she really knew in town so far were him and Harley, she would most likely be happy to have him call in on her. Seemed maybe he was wrong.

Of course, that didn’t mean he regretted going along to see her. She really was all kinds of hot in those short-shorts she had been wearing. Like he hadn’t noticed before that she was worth a look, but this morning was something else entirely. It was a shame that she seemed to want him out so fast, but Wade knew from experience that girls could just get into those kinds of moods sometimes, even when they’d been totally friendly before.

“Maybe it’s just that time of the month,” he muttered to himself as he rounded the corner and almost ran straight into someone coming the other way. “Sorry ‘bout that, Dr Breeland. Wasn’t lookin’ where I was goin’,” he apologised.

“No harm done, son,” Brick assured him, patting him on the shoulder. “I do believe I can imagine what has your mind altogether elsewhere right now,” he said with a look then.

“No idea what you’re talkin’ about.” Wade shook his head, wondering if maybe Harley already spilled the beans to his fellow doctor about Zoe, though somehow, he doubted it.

“Come on now, Wade. This is Bluebell, a small town, with a lot of folks who like to talk,” said Brick, tipping him a wink. “Just remember to be respectful and safe, okay?”

With that he was gone and Wade was left to gape after the doctor like a landed fish. Clearly the idea that Dash had about him and Zoe being more than a little friendly was going around town, which was not so bad for his reputation as the town’s up and coming Casanova, but it wouldn’t do much for Zoe’s character.

Wade frowned at that thought and looked across the town square in time to see Brick disappear into the practice. Harley was most likely already there, so now wouldn’t be a good time to go talking to him about this, but at some point, he really ought to know what folks was saying. The sooner the truth was told about who Zoe really was, the better it would be for everybody. Not that Wade minded so much the idea of him and Zoe getting a little better acquainted somewhere down the road. There was always a chance.


	12. Chapter 12

Zoe didn’t exactly feel like she was ready to meet the people of Bluebell, not after just a couple of days to get used to the idea, and a whole lot of sickness that refused to confine itself to the morning. Still, she knew she didn’t exactly have a choice if she was going to be staying a while.

It would be a shock for some, she supposed, that she was Harley’s daughter. The idea that a bunch of people were going to judge either of them for that didn’t thrill her, but Zoe knew she would just have to put up with it, same as Harley.

“I’m so sorry, Zoe,” he told her with an expression that proved how bad he felt. “If I could promise you that nobody would judge, I would, but I don’t-”

“Really not your fault,” she insisted, making a cutting motion with her hand so he wouldn’t say anymore. “Hey, things happened the way they did and here we are. I chose to come here to meet you and, strange as this whole situation is, I’m not sorry that I did,” she assured him. “Except for the part where the bus dropped me off miles from town and I thought I was going to have to walk the rest of the way here,” she said thoughtfully.

“Lucky Wade was there to rescue you.” Harley smiled.

“So true!” Zoe nodded. “I mean, at least I knew I was safe getting into his truck.”

“Oh, of course, honey.” Harley assured her. “You’re as safe with Wade Kinsella as anyone I know. Which is not to say he doesn’t have a certain... well, reputation where the young ladies are concerned, but he’s not the type to go pressing his luck where he’s not wanted, if you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” Zoe confirmed, nodding her head.

Honestly, she couldn’t really imagine too many girls not wanting Wade’s attention, unless they just weren’t attracted to men altogether. She was very much attracted herself, both to guys and to Wade in particular, but Zoe knew now was not the time to be mentioning that. In fact, no time would really be a good time, in the circumstances.

“Okay then, are we all set?” asked Harley, as they stood by the door.

“I guess we must be,” said Zoe, as he ushered her out into the world.

They drove into town, arriving outside the Butterstick, where Harley escorted Zoe inside and they ordered what they wanted to eat and drink.

“Agnes, may I introduce this young lady to you,” said Harley to the woman behind the counter. “This is Zoe. Well, as a matter of fact, she’s my daughter.”

Zoe would’ve said she never saw a woman look more shocked at that moment, but as time wore on and she was introduced to more and more of the residents of Bluebell, she was met by more and more shocked, surprised, and frankly amazed expressions on the faces of many a person. That wasn’t to say they weren’t perfectly polite to her. In fact, as far as Zoe could tell, Bluebell was just the nicest, friendliest place she had ever been to in her life. Not that she believed that a few of those people she met weren’t talking about her behind their hands the moment she and Harley walked away. She knew very well what kind of scandal it must seem to these small-town folks to have the town doctor suddenly with a teenage daughter who showed up out of the blue. Zoe chose not to think about that too much.

“Well, I think you’ve met most folks that I might want to introduce you to,” said Harley after a couple of hours general meeting and greeting around town square. “I guess anybody who hasn’t heard the news about my beautiful, talented daughter yet would be heading on over to the Rammer Jammer for some lunch. You think maybe you’d want to join me there, Zoe?”

“I guess so,” she said awkwardly, unsure just how much more she could take of meeting new people.

As it was, Zoe was certain she would never remember all their names. However, now the nausea had passed, she was getting kind of hungry. Plus, all the walking around in the insanely hot sun was making her very thirsty too. If nothing else, a cold drink would be so welcome right now.

“You know, I can’t guarantee it, but I’m pretty sure young Wade will be there,” he said as they set off walking in the direction of the eatery that was apparently named after a lyric from a football team’s fight song, or so Zoe had been told. “I know he works quite a few shifts waiting tables these days. I seem to recall he told me he hoped to get behind the bar someday, but of course, he’ll have to wait his time on that one. He’s just your age, did he tell you that?”

“He did.” Zoe nodded. “One of the few people around here who is, so far,” she noted as they continued walking.

“Ah, yes, indeed. Seems most of the colleges don’t let out for Thanksgiving until later this week. I guess that’s one of those differences between the northern schools and the southern ones,” said Harley, smiling still.

Zoe didn’t really want to answer that one and was relieved not to have to as they arrived at a building with a huge neon sign declaring ‘Rammer Jammer’ over the top. Harley opened the door for her like a gentleman and ushered her in, immediately looking around for more people who she might want to meet. Zoe was relieved for a second time in as many minutes when Wade walked up and welcomed them to the place.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, Zoe Hart,” he said with a side grin. “You’ve been gettin’ the full tour then, huh?”

“Something like that,” she said, nodding her head. “Um, we came in for lunch... and more introductions, unfortunately,” she said in a low voice while Harley was distracted by other neighbours.

“You gettin’ a little tired of the Southern hospitality already?” Wade checked.

“Not really. It’s just... a lot.” Zoe shook her head. “I could use a long, cold drink and a little peace and quiet.”

“You leave that to me,” said Wade with a wink, cutting into a small gap in Harley’s conversation and telling him he was just going to borrow Zoe for a little bit, if that was okay.

Harley barely would’ve gotten a chance to argue if he wanted to, before Wade took Zoe gently by the arm and guided her around the bar to a quiet corner. There were only two unoccupied booths and they were mostly out of sight from the rest of the eatery, Zoe realised, as she slid in to sit down.

“Thank you,” she said with a happy sigh.

Wade shook his head. “That’s only the half of it, girl,” he told her, disappearing somewhere out back for just a minute or so.

When he returned, he placed a glass down in front of Zoe with a flourish, something that looked distinctly like a cocktail of some kind, complete with an umbrella and a straw.

“Wade,” she hissed at him. “Not only am I underage, but I’m also... I just don’t drink, okay?” she said sharply, hardly able to believe she had very nearly admitted her pregnancy to Wade of all people.

“Hey, relax yourself, okay?” he said, as he slid into the other side of the booth opposite her. “It just looks fancy, there’s nothin’ alcoholic in there. Geez, you think I’d still have a job here if there was?”

Zoe huffed out a breath and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she apologised, picking the straw out of her orange drink and poking at the ice in it. “It’s just... everything here is taking a little getting used to, the heat being a large part of the problem.”

“Then get on into it,” he said, nodding towards her drink. “You’ll feel like a new woman,” he promised her, grinning still and making Zoe want to do the same.

She did as he suggested and took a long drink from her fancy glass. It really did taste so good, and all the better for being as cold as it was delicious.

“Wow. That’s so good,” she declared, smacking her lips. “What is it anyway?”

Wade leaned across the table and spoke in a low voice as if about to tell a big secret.

“Well, if I told ya, I’d have to kill ya,” he said instead.

Zoe laughed too loudly, smacking at his arm. “Idiot.”

They were both laughing when Harley finally found them.

“Well, here you both are,” he said with a smile. “Am I missing the joke again?”

“Nothin’ all that funny, Harley, I promise,” Wade assured him, sliding back out of the booth. “Just keepin’ your daughter company a while, but she is all yours. Now, what can I get you two to eat?” he asked them, producing a pad and pencil from his pocket.

Harley and Zoe made their selections, him from the top of his head and her from the extensive menu, and then Wade went to fetch their food. Zoe took another long drink from her glass then leaned back in her seat.

“This is a nice place.”

“The Rammer Jammer or Bluebell in general?” her father asked curiously.

“Um, well, both,” Zoe admitted, “but I just... I don’t know, I feel like if any more people stare at me today, I’m going to go crazy. I’m sorry,” she quickly apologised on realising how that must sound. “It’s not that everybody isn’t totally nice and everything, I just kind of feel like a bug under a microscope, you know what I mean?”

Harley looked ready to face-palm when she said that and then just seemed to feel terribly guilty, which only made Zoe feel worse herself.

“I am so sorry, Zoe,” he told her fast. “I just wanted everybody to know who you are, because I’m so happy you’re here, and so gosh darn proud to be your daddy, and with the rumours going around-”

“Rumours?” Zoe jumped in when she heard that. “About me? Or about you?”

“Um, well, mostly about you, I’m afraid to say,” said Harley, looking even more awkward by now if that were possible. “You know, until it was explained that you were here to see me and that you were my daughter, the only people who really saw you around town saw you in the company of Wade and, well, it’s like I told you, he has a certain reputation around town. Plus, as decent a man as Dash Dewitt can be, he has a tendency to tell things the way he sees them and not always how they actually are...”

“Oh, great,” said Zoe, with a complete lack of enthusiasm. “So, until you told everybody I was your scandalous daughter, they all thought I was Wade’s scandalous girlfriend?”

“Yeah, it was goin’ a little somethin’ like that, from what I heard”, Wade himself admitted as he returned to the table with their lunch. “I promise you, Zoe, I had nothin’ to do with that,” he said definitely, putting her lunch down in front of her. “Not that I exactly minded people thinkin’ that I was responsible for bringing your fine self to town,” he admitted with a wink, “but I didn’t start any of those rumours.”

“Of course you didn’t, Wade.” Harley shook his head. “I’m sure Zoe never suspected as much.”

“Zoe is just loving being every kind of scandalous in a small Southern town,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s fine, I’m not blaming either of you,” she promised both Harley and Wade. “I just feel like, lately, my life has become one giant pile of... scandal,” she ended not exactly where she intended do, but highly aware she probably shouldn’t say the first word that came to mind.

“It’ll get better, Zoe,” Wade assured her with a kind smile before he was forced to walk away and serve other patrons that required his attention.

“He’s right, honey,” Harley assured Zoe as she picked at her food, no longer feeling as hungry as she had before. “I know things haven’t been easy for you lately, finding out about me, that fight you said you had with Candice and all, but it will get better. You spend a nice Thanksgiving here in Bluebell, I’m sure that’ll perk your mood right up.”

His smile and enthusiasm for having her stay and enjoy herself was too infectious for Zoe not to get caught up in it and a grin soon returned to her face.

“You know, when Wade first came to see me, he told me you were this great guy and that he thought you would make a great father, if you were given the chance,” she told Harley as she finally picked up her sandwich and prepared to take a bite. “I think he was probably right,” she declared, digging into her food then, mostly so she didn’t have to look at Harley as he stared back at her.

She meant what she said and didn’t regret the words that just seemed to come out without her thinking too much about them. Harley really was the nicest man, just trying to do everything he could to make her feel welcome and wanted here. It was more than she ever really got from her mother, and she had been the one to raise her all her life. Zoe was both amazed and kind of saddened by that realisation.

“Thank you, Zoe,” said Harley then, not even trying to make a start on his own lunch yet. “You don’t know what that means to me. Uh, did you think any more about my offer to come stay at the house for the holiday?” he asked then, finally seeming to realise he should be paying at least some attention to his food and popping a fry into his mouth. “I mean, now everybody knows you’re my daughter,” he continued, the moment he had chewed and swallowed, “so, there’ll be no more rumours, and I don’t like the idea of you paying to stay at the bed and breakfast when I have so much room at my place.”

Zoe opened her mouth to say no and then immediately changed her mind. After all, she was going to run out of cash before too much longer and using her card would only allow her mother to track her down, if she had a mind to. Zoe would really prefer that didn’t happen, at least, not yet.

“Okay,” she said instead, nodding her head. “Yes, thank you, Harley, I would love a room at your place,” she told him, smiling widely as he did the same.

“Well, that is just wonderful,” he said, practically giddy with happiness. “You know, I think you’re really going to enjoy Thanksgiving here in Bluebell. It might be a little different to what you’re used to, I admit, but all the younger folks will be home soon, so that’ll be nice for you, and Planksgiving is quite the occasion.”

“Hold on a second,” said Zoe then, shaking her head in confusion. “ _Plank_ sgiving?”


	13. Chapter 13

Wade didn’t think he would have to feel sorry for Zoe any more, not once she got to Bluebell, met Harley, and settled into town. He had hated seeing her cry over the news that her father was a different man to who she thought, and he didn’t exactly love seeing her struggle with adjusting to a small town in the south after only knowing big city life up north, but at this point, he figured she would be doing okay. Of course, then everybody came home from college and Planksgiving was imminent. Zoe was suddenly out of her depth (again) and it showed on her face, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

“Time for another heroic rescue,” said Wade to himself, crossing the town square and calling out for Zoe’s attention as he approached her, as well as the Belles who seemed to have her cornered. “Well, hey there, Zoe Hart. I have been lookin’ all over the place for you.”

“Wade Kinsella, can’t you see we are all havin’ a very important, _women only_ conversation here?” asked Lemon Breeland with a look that could kill, not that such evil-eyed glances from her ever phased Wade at all - he had known her way too long.

“I can see that Zoe looks like she could use a break from all this female yammerin’,” he said without pause, squeezing between Lemon and Elodie to offer his hand to Zoe. “Seems to me maybe she’d like to come along with me and get a break from y’all for a while.”

The look on Zoe’s face was a picture as she put her hand into Wade’s own and allowed herself to be led away from the Belles that had previously had her, almost literally, surrounded. The sigh of relief was audible and made Wade smile. What made him even happier was the fact that, even after they were a good distance away from Lemon and her posse of princesses, Zoe hadn’t let up her hold on his hand yet.

“Thank you for that,” she said, leaning close into his side as they walked through town square. “I mean, I probably could’ve got away myself, but... I don’t know, even though they were all clearly paying back-handed compliments, I just didn’t feel like I could be really rude to them. My dad knows their families, after all, and he’s the doctor here. I don’t want to make his life anymore difficult, you know?”

“Zoe, you don’t gotta worry about ol’ Harley,” Wade assured her, shaking his head. “He is more’n capable of holding his own if anybody starts makin’ trouble. Besides, he would be the first one to take your side against the likes of Lemon Breeland if needs be. That said, her bark’s usually worse than her bite.”

“Usually?” Zoe checked, squinting against the bright sun as she looked up at him.

“There are certain things that Lemon gets seriously territorial about,” said Wade, choosing his words carefully. “She will not hear a word said against her family, she would never allow a single person to get in her way when she was after being prom queen or Miss Cinnamon Cider or some such, and one other thing,” he said, pointing across the street and encouraging Zoe to look.

“Who’s that?” she asked, staring at the person who would be a complete stranger to her thus far.

“That right there is the Golden Boy of this town,” said Wade with a grin. “Happens to be a buddy o’ mine too,” he explained, cupping his free hand to his mouth then as he yelled out; “Hey, George Tucker!”

The moment he realised his attention was being called for, George raised a hand to let Wade know he heard him and then, quickly checking for traffic, ran across the street to come meet up with him.

“Hey, Wade,” he said, reaching to shake his hand, which was what finally prompted Wade to leave go of Zoe’s hand, which was a shame. “Man, even though I was back here visitin’ just a few weeks ago, feels like too long,” said George with the usual toothpaste commercial smile that Wade was well accustomed to.

“George Tucker, I would like you to meet somebody,” his friend told him then. “This here is someone you will have heard of by name at least. Zoe Hart,” he said, gesturing towards her and waiting for whatever reaction came next.

“Pleasure to meet you, Zoe,” George smiled her way now, shaking her hand too. “I did hear somethin’ about you, I will admit, but then Bluebell is that kind of town.”

“So I’ve learned already,” Zoe agreed, making a face. “Although, I guess you did hear about me a little before everyone else.”

“I did?” George checked, frowning a little before the light seemed to dawn somewhere and he turned wide eyes to Wade. “This is... She’s... The girl at Yale?”

“That’d be her.” Wade nodded his agreement. “You see now why I couldn’t say too much about why I was tracking her down? I mean, it’s not that I don’t trust you, George, you know that...”

“But it was somebody else’s secret to hold onto.” George nodded, clearly understanding, as he most often did. “Well, like I said, a pleasure to meet you, Zoe,” he told her once again. “I do believe you picked just exactly the right time to come on down to Bluebell and meet Harley Wilkes. I’m guessing he and Wade filled you in on the whole Planksgiving tradition.”

“They did.” Zoe nodded. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it actually. Pirates, a fish fry, it’s not very... Thanksgivingy.”

“Like I told you before, Zoe, we got a lot of our own traditions down south,” Wade reminded her. “Come on now, you can’t tell me there’s nothin’ specific to New York that’d surprise the heck outta folks from any other state?”

“Nothing that compares to Planksgiving, I promise,” she insisted. “But hey, since I seem to be all about trying new things, I figure, just embrace the change, right? I’m pretty sure I can club together a pirate-style outfit for tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you’ll look just great,” said George, grinning at her yet.

Wade tried not to mind that too much, even when he caught Zoe grinning back like her face might split in two. After all, Tucker was with Lemon these days, he’d never look twice at another girl. He was way too upstanding to cheat and way too in love with Ms Breeland to want to anyhow. Besides, even if he were going to make a play for Zoe, wasn’t as if Wade had any rights to try and stop him. She wasn’t his girlfriend or anything. There hadn’t even been talk of them going out... or staying in for that matter.

George was gone when Wade finally paid attention to reality again, off to see Lemon, of course, who was all kinds of pleased to see him. His mind had wandered so much that Wade realised too late he must have completely missed whatever Zoe just said to him. She certainly was looking at him expectantly, like she was waiting on an answer to a question or some such.

“Are you okay?” she asked then, apparently concerned. “Wade, you know, you don’t have to babysit me all the time. I mean, it was nice of you to rescue me from the Belles and to keep me company when Harley’s working, but I’m a big girl, from New York, no less. I can look after myself if you have places to be, things to do.”

When he looked at her then, he knew she meant every word, and yet, he had a feeling that if he actually left Zoe to do for herself in a place where most folks didn’t know her beyond a name and the fact she was Harley’s daughter, she wouldn’t exactly like it much. Besides, as if he really wanted to be anywhere else but with her for just as long as she was hanging around. It wasn’t as if she was going to stay forever.

“You tryin’ to get rid o’ me, Zoe Hart?” he asked her with a smirk he couldn’t help. “Now, here is me tryin’ to show you a little Southern hospitality...”

“I’m not trying to get rid of you,” she said fast. “I just... I’ll just shut up then,” she said off the look he gave her.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Wade teased her, before leading the way to The Butterstick so they could get something to eat.

* * *

As Thanksgivings went, Zoe could hardly say this was the worst one she ever had. In fact, she might have to break down and admit it was probably the best holiday she ever spent anywhere ever. It wasn’t that Zoe couldn’t recall a couple of nice Thanksgivings or Christmases or even a 4th July or two that she enjoyed as a child, but for the most part, her memories of any special occasions at home in New York involved her dad being absent (for good reasons, but still), her parents fighting, her mom getting drunk, or a combination of all of the above.

Family seemed to have a whole other meaning in Bluebell, Alabama. It meant your blood relatives, who all made astounding efforts to be there and share a day of love and thanks together, but it also meant friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances, pretty much the whole town coming together in celebration, not because they felt they had to or anything, but because they really, really wanted to.

Zoe had never known anything like that in her life and it felt pretty darn good. Then there were the pirate costumes, the crazy traditional games and events, and the grand fish fry in the town square. It was as nutty as it was special and Zoe actually found she loved every minute of it.

“I’m so happy to see you smilin’ like that, honey,” Harley told her with a wide grin of his own. “I know this is nothing like what you’re used to.”

“It’s really not,” she admitted, adjusting the skirt of her costume when the breeze kicked it up, “but everybody is so nice and this has been _so_ much fun. Why doesn’t everybody celebrate Thanksgiving like this?” she asked, only half-joking, to be honest.

Frankly, she couldn’t imagine anybody having a bad time at an event like this one, or meeting nicer people than she had so far in Bluebell. It was true that certain people, like Lemon Breeland and some of her Belle friends, were less friendly to the illegitimate daughter of the town’s senior doctor, but most everybody else had been welcoming and kind.

Several of the guys of Zoe’s age who had come home from college for the holiday seemed to take some interest in her, though she tried not to notice that. As nice as it was to get that kind of ego boost, she was wary of inadvertently encouraging anyone. After all, there was a baby to consider, even if she was the only one in town to know that yet. Besides, if she was going to be giving her attention to anybody in Bluebell in that way, she had a feeling she had already picked out the one it would be.

“Wade Kinsella certainly excelled himself in all the competitions today,” said Harley suddenly, almost as if he read Zoe’s thoughts straight out of her head.

She sincerely hoped he hadn’t in the circumstances. She realised then she had actually been unwittingly staring at the guy in question who was across the square a ways, laughing and joking with his friend, George.

“You know, I wonder if he wasn’t trying to impress somebody,” Harley said then, nudging Zoe’s elbow with his own. “I mean, not that he isn’t usually showing off a little anyway. Boys his age do have that tendency. I know I always did,” he said with a chuckle, “but I have a notion maybe there’s somebody in particular he might like to make a good impression on.”

Zoe looked at her father then, took in the grin on his face, and knew precisely what he meant. She was pretty sure Harley meant for her to know too, but she was also just as certain she had to put him straight on the situation with her and Wade, no matter how awkward.

“It’s really not like that,” she insisted, shaking her head. “I mean, it could be. It’s not that Wade’s not a totally nice guy,” she said instead, that part being the whole truth at least, “and maybe he does like me, I don’t know. I do like him, because he got me here to meet you, and he’s been a real friend this past week or so, but I’m not... I don’t...”

“Oh, you don’t have to explain to me, Zoe, sweetheart,” Harley insisted, patting her hand. “I’m just teasing is all, the way old folks are supposed to. I’ll be honest, given the way Wade runs around town, making conquests and breaking hearts... well, he’s a good boy deep down, I know that, and of course, you are your own person and can make your own decisions, but I wouldn’t want to see you hurt for anything, or in any kind of trouble, if you take my meaning.”

Zoe bit her lip then, unsure if she were more likely to cry or just make a huge confession here. Either way, her teeth dug into her lip hard enough to keep anything from slipping out while she gave herself the chance to think for a moment.

Harley didn’t want her hurt and he didn’t want her getting into any trouble. If only he knew. There was no question that now would be the perfect time to tell him, and yet. It had been such a great day, as close to perfect as Zoe could imagine. If she spilt the truth now, she wasn’t just spoiling a nice occasion, but she was doubtless going to alter Harley’s opinion of her. As for Wade, well, she was saying goodbye to his attention, she was sure on that. There was no way a guy like him was going to be interested when he knew she pregnant.

Honestly, Zoe knew the moment she decided to keep this baby that she was letting go of a whole bunch of things she might have otherwise had in her life, but that was okay. She made her choice to sleep with Logan and this was the consequence of that. Come what may, she would face it like an adult, except for the part where she probably wasn’t going to get through this conversation without bawling like a child.

“Harley, the truth is...” she began, faltering almost immediately she gained his full attention again. “Um, the truth is...” she started over, only to be interrupted this time instead.

“So, what’d you think to your first Planksgiving, Zoe Hart?” asked Wade as he and George walked over to the bench she was sat on, alongside Harley. “Everythin’ you dreamed it’d be?”

“Uh, yes, absolutely,” she said, forcing a smile back on her lips, though she wasn’t certain it was convincing, especially when George looked concerned.

“Hey, you feelin’ okay?” he asked worriedly. “You look a little... wobbly,” he opted for eventually.

“No, I’m fine,” Zoe insisted, making a liar of herself as she stood up far too quickly and fell sideways, right into Wade’s arms.

“Geez, Zoe, this is becoming an awful habit,” he said, attempting to set her back on her feet.

It was hard for Zoe to feel stable and she was glad that Wade kept his arm around her for a while. Harley was soon on his feet too, supporting her on the other side.

“A habit?” he said, looking from his daughter to Wade and back. “This has happened before?”

“The day I met her,” Wade explained. “I figured it was the shock of me tellin’ her about you, but now...”

They continued to go back and forth, both of them fussing, with George chipping in too, all putting forth theories on what was wrong with her. Everything from heat stroke to anaemia via stress and viral infection got suggested, until Zoe felt like her head was spinning in a whole new way. Harley actually started asking her questions then and talking about running tests. It was more than she could take, so very much more.

“I’m pregnant!”

The words were out before she could check them, so loud that Zoe was convinced people all the way back home in New York heard her. Certainly, from the looks on their faces, Harley, Wade, and George hadn’t misunderstood what she just told them, and the silence that seemed to have fallen over a large part of the town square suggested a whole lot more people than just them had heard too.

Zoe sighed heavily. “Well, I guess that secret is out.”


	14. Chapter 14

“You know, you really should eat somethin’ if you can, honey.”

Zoe heard what Harley said but had to physically shake herself and make herself answer him. Her mind wandered a lot in the past few days as she sat in her natural father’s house with too much to think about. She was still no further forward in where she went from here.

“I’m sorry,” she told Harley, forcing a smile. “I’m eating, I promise,” she said, pointedly picking up her fork and shovelling eggs into her mouth.

She made a face when she realised they were now stone-cold and awful.

“How about I make you somethin’ else?” her father offered, rising to take her plate.

“Actually, I think some dry toast would sit better right now.” Zoe sighed. “I had some sickness again this morning.”

Harley looked so sad and sympathetic, honestly, it just made her feel worse, but that wasn’t his fault. He really had been so amazing since Zoe made her confession about being pregnant, she was sure she didn’t deserve it. After all, the way the truth came out, loudly and in front of practically the whole town, it wasn’t great. She knew she had to have embarrassed poor Harley and that was something she never meant to do.

“Well, that should pass soon, honey,” he said of her morning sickness. “First three months are the worst for it, and from what you said...”

“It’s almost over.” Zoe nodded her agreement, getting up from the table to follow him back to the kitchen. “There’s so much more to deal with though, and I don’t just mean the usual symptoms of pregnancy,” she said sadly, leaning in the doorway while Harley scraped off her plate and fired up the toaster to make her the fresh breakfast she requested. “It’s been days since I told everybody, and weeks since I found out myself. I just wish I knew what to do.”

The tears that welled up in Zoe’s eyes were becoming a habit. Before she got pregnant, Zoe really wasn’t the crying type. Obviously, it happened sometimes, she wasn’t a robot or anything, but she was usually pretty tough about things. She knew she had to be better at handling her emotions than some if she was going to be a doctor. Delivering bad news to patients and relations, dealing with the passing of people she had known a while, it was all part of the job. You couldn’t start blubbering every time things got rough. It was so uncharacteristic of Zoe to be that way, until now. Hormones were just so much fun!

“Seems to me you already made the hardest decision,” said Harley, looking back at her. “I mean, you decided to keep your child.”

“That was actually the easiest part of all this,” Zoe told him, shaking her head. “I know everybody has a choice, and I would never judge anybody for choosing another option, but the idea of just getting rid of it, like it was nothing...” Zoe’s arm went around her stomach, cradling the baby in a way, she supposed, though there wasn’t much there to hold onto yet. “And I know there’s adoption and everything, I thought of that too, but I really don’t think I could. I mean, it was tough enough for me, finding out my dad wasn’t my dad... well, you know what I mean,” she said awkwardly. “If I gave my baby away, wouldn’t I always wonder?”

“I’m guessing you probably would.” Harley nodded in agreement as he came to stand before her, his hand going gently to her shoulder. “Zoe, I did wondering enough these past few years since I found out you were my daughter, and heaven knows, I shoulda made more effort before now to seek you out, but at least I can be here for you now. I know you have your momma and your friends back home, but like I told you already, if you wanna stay here, for a little while or for a long while, you are always welcome. Always, you understand me?”

“I know,” said Zoe, swallowing hard, fighting a losing battle against the tears that streaked down both her cheeks then. “Damn hormones,” she complained, with a weak laugh, as she wiped those tears away.

“I’ll finish gettin’ you that breakfast,” said Harley, pressing a clean handkerchief into her hand before turning away to retrieve her toast for her.

He really was the nicest guy and Zoe knew how lucky she was to have found him. Not that she came looking exactly, he had found her first, thanks to a little help from Wade, and George Tucker as it turned out. She thought of Wade as being the main reason she knew her real father and she couldn’t be more grateful to him. She assumed he knew that, but she hadn’t really got a chance to talk to him since Thanksgiving.

The look on his face after she said she was pregnant, that expression of shock and a hundred other things Zoe didn’t even want to consider was seared into her brain. She knew then he would never look at her the same way again. Wade liked her before, liked her the way guys liked girls, and she had to admit she liked him back in much the same way. In different circumstances, things could have been pretty special between them, she was sure, but not now. He knew she was pregnant, which meant not only would she have a kid to take care of in six months’ time, she was also dumb enough to get herself knocked up by some unworthy ass at Yale. Wade knew all that and Zoe so wished she could take it back so he didn’t.

“There you go, honey,” said Harley, pushing a plate of toast into her hand. “You want some orange juice to go with that?”

“Yes, please.” Zoe nodded, knowing that whether she liked it or not, she ought to keep her fluids and Vitamin C up.

She would absolutely love a cup of coffee, but knew she shouldn’t, unless it was decaff and that just wasn’t the same. She answered absently when Harley said he was just going to go upstairs and get ready for work while she had her breakfast, then sat back down at the table to force-feed herself. She ought to be hungry, but she wasn’t really. Maybe if she could settle her head, then she could settle her stomach.

Fresh air would help her, a nice walk around town maybe, but Zoe didn’t want to go out. Harley offered to go with her several times in the past few days, but she always declined with one excuse or another. She knew what the people in town were thinking, well, some of them anyway. They were nice people, the decent, upstanding, Christian folks of Bluebell, and she was sure they weren’t _all_ judging her, but some would.

In any place, at any time, there were always some that would, and if they were willing to judge her, they were willing to judge Harley too. Zoe so wished she could fix that. All the rumours that had to be flying around since she arrived, how Harley got some woman pregnant but didn’t marry her or whatever, and now, Zoe was pregnant too, with no man in sight, nevermind a ring on her finger.

“Don’t think about it,” she muttered to herself, biting down hard on her toast and making herself chew.

The truth was, Zoe knew she could handle random gossips if she had to, and Harley had assured her they didn’t bother him any either. She could even deal with Lemon and her Belles being mean, not least since most of them would be gone back to their respective colleges soon, not to be seen again until late December. What bothered Zoe most was facing Wade again.

He hadn’t come to the house at all since Thanksgiving. She didn’t blame him, not after the way the truth had come out. In all the conversations they had, all the time they spent together, she never told him she was pregnant.

Somehow, Zoe felt like she had lied to him. After all, a lie by omission was still a lie, and while it was true that she didn’t exactly owe Wade anything - they weren’t dating and barely knew each other yet - she still felt like she did something wrong. More than that, Zoe felt like Wade thought she did something wrong, and she knew if he did, she couldn’t, in all good conscience, tell him he was wrong.

Dropping her toast back on the plate with a clang, Zoe pushed her chair back from the table and heaved a sigh.

“This is ridiculous!” she told herself, a little louder than she really intended.

Glancing up, she was glad to realise Harley hadn’t heard her, sure that he would have called down to ask what was wrong if he had. He really did care so much about her, whether Zoe thought she deserved it or not.

Maybe the problem wasn’t what other people thought about her or about Harley, maybe the problem was Zoe, letting herself believe that it mattered.

“I am better than this,” she told herself, getting to her feet and moving to the stairs. “Harley? When you go to work, could you please drive me into town too?”

“Well, of course, Zoe,” he told her, appearing at the top of the stairway and looking down at her. “But if you need something picking up from town I can-”

“I don’t,” she told him fast. “I mean, thank you, but I just... I need to go out, walk around. Prove something to myself, I guess,” she said with a look she hoped conveyed the parts that she didn’t want to have to explain.

“Understood,” said Harley, smiling down at her. “I’ll be right down and we’ll be gettin’ along.”

* * *

Wade would like to say he hadn’t been avoiding Zoe Hart on purpose. He would like to say it, but he’d be a liar if he did. He was well aware that didn’t exactly make him the best person around, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised she wasn’t exactly blameless in all of this either.

They had spent quite a span of time together since she rolled into town, talked about a lot of things. Hell, he told her stuff about his family that he never told another soul in the world, though truth to say, he wasn’t entirely sure why that was. All Wade knew was that he liked Zoe Hart and in her he kind of felt like he found a kindred spirit. 

Sure, on paper, they were very different people. Her from New York, him from Bluebell, her all book-smart and fanciful with plans to be a doctor someday, and him barely scraping enough cash to live on working shifts at the Rammer Jammer and picking up odd jobs around town. Still, they seemed to find plenty to talk about and he figured she knew what it was to come from a messed-up situation family-wise.

Her mom sure hadn’t been all she should’ve been when Zoe was coming up, lying to her about her daddy and all, and then Ethan Hart just went ahead and abandoned her somewhere along the line. At least she had Harley now, but she sure didn’t come from a real stable home. Wade knew how that went and he had told her pretty much everything about it. She was sympathetic, the way folks always were, but she didn’t seem to pity him any, which meant a lot to Wade. She just understood some of how he felt and that helped.

Now Zoe was in a new family-related pickle of her own and Wade knew if he was any kind of friend, he ought to be there for her, but somehow, he just couldn’t bring himself to go calling at the Wilkes house these past few days. Of course, he knew eventually he was going to run across Zoe somewhere, Bluebell just wasn’t that big of a place, and it seemed today was the day it was going to happen.

“Wade, hi,” she said as they rounded the same corner at the same time and almost ran right into each other. “Um, how are you?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” he countered immediately. “I mean, in your condition and all,” he said, waving in his hand in some vague gesture towards her person.

She looked so awkward about the question and a little upset too. Wade wanted to take it back the second he was done asking.

“Look, I’m sorry, Zoe,” he told her, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I know this ain’t my business. I don’t even know why I ever thought it was.”

He moved to walk by her then, but Zoe’s hand on his arm stopped Wade from going far. Looking back at her troubled expression, he felt even more like a heel than he had a minute before.

Sure, she could’ve told him sooner about her having a kid and everything, but if he was honest, Wade knew Zoe didn’t owe him any explanations. They hadn’t known each other all that long and it wasn’t as if she was making any promises to him. Maybe he just ought to admit he had been thinking about her in a certain way this past while and all that seemed to be shattered since he heard about her ‘happy news’, if you could even call it that in the circumstances. She hadn’t seemed all that thrilled about it when she told the whole town at Planksgiving.

“Have you been avoiding me?” she asked, staring up at him with those beautiful big brown eyes of hers. “I mean, I know I’ve pretty much been holed up at Harley’s place the last few days, but... you didn’t come by and I thought...”

“Hey, I’ve just been busy is all.” Wade shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets since he didn’t seem to know what else to do with them. “You know, I’ve had plenty o’ work to do lately, and Earl’s sober living thing lasted a whole five days before he fell off the wagon again, so there’s that,” he explained, swallowing hard as he met her eyes, “and yes, okay, I have also been avoiding you,” he admitted at last.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Zoe said sadly, turning to walk away.

Wade immediately rushed after her, falling into step beside Zoe and keeping pace even as she seemed to want to rush to get away.

“Hey, come on, now, Zoe. You give a person a shock like that, well, I’m no Dr Phil or whatever, but I guess it takes ‘em a while to... I don’t know, process or whatever the heck you call it,” he tried to tell her.

“Ha! You think I don’t know that?” Zoe asked as she rounded on him. “It kind of came as a shock to me when I found out too,” she admitted, pressing one hand into her own chest. “I know I am responsible for my own actions as much as anybody else, but this was _not_ what I was expecting either.”

Wade had to admit he felt like a fool when she put it like that. What right did he have to be so shocked and affronted that some girl he barely knew yet was pregnant? It was Zoe’s life that had to be feeling pretty upside down right now, between the new father and the baby on the way.

Heaving a sigh, he pulled his hand from his pocket and ran it over his hair.

“Uh, so, you know who the father is, right?” he asked awkwardly.

“Obviously.” Zoe rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “His name is Logan. We dated a while at the end of Freshman year at Yale and then when we went back for Sophomore year, things... progressed,” she said awkwardly, not even looking at Wade. “Even though we took precautions, apparently they failed.”

“Let me guess, you told him you were pregnant, he told you it was your problem?”

She looked surprised that he knew that, but Wade wondered how she could be. The way she spat out the other guy’s name like it left a bad taste in her mouth proved he had to be some kind of asshat. Seemed most likely to him he didn’t care much for Zoe or the kid they made now he was done having his way with her.

“You know, I always like to think if that ever happened to me, I’d be a stand-up guy.” Wade sighed and shook his head. “I guess it’s a whole different thing when it actually happens.”

“And it is so much easier for the guy to just walk away,” Zoe told him, voice wobbling terribly as she swiped at tears she would clearly prefer he didn’t see, but she was too late.

“You, uh... you gonna stay here in Bluebell? With Harley?” Wade asked, trying to see her face even when Zoe looked everywhere but at him.

Her shoulders shrugged, but she gave no further answer. When she finally turned her head, he could see she was really crying by now. Wade didn’t know what he was supposed to say or do for the best. All he knew was that it was killing him to see her hurting like that.

“C’mere,” he said, reaching out for Zoe and pulling her right into his arms. “Life sure has thrown you some curveballs, girl,” he said, chin propped on top of her head as he held her tight and rubbed her back. “But I know this, from what I seen of you so far, you’re tough enough to work through all this and be stronger for it. ‘Sides, you couldn’t be in a better place than Bluebell or have a better daddy to help you out than Harley Wilkes,” he promised Zoe, his hands at her shoulders pushing her back just enough that he could see her face. “And hey, you ever worry you ain’t got a friend in the world to turn to, you just put that thought right outta your head, okay?” he told her, pushing her hair gently back from her tear-stained face. “It’s gonna be okay, Zoe.”

Wade wasn’t sure if she believed him, he wasn’t even sure why he was making her promises that he had no idea if he could keep, but for her, he wanted to try. He wanted to give her everything and more. Maybe that made him a crazy person, but hey, from his family, that was practically expected. If nothing else, Wade suspected that if anyone in the world was worth going crazy for it would be Miss Zoe Hart.


	15. Chapter 15

“That was not fun,” Zoe declared as she hung up the phone and sighed.

“Were they mad or somethin’,” Wade asked. “I mean, do fancy colleges get mad when you tell ‘em you ain’t comin’ back just like that?”

“I really don’t think Yale cares too much that they lost one person from their Sophomore class,” she said with another sad sigh. “It probably happens all the time.”

Of course, Zoe noted, she never had thought it would happen to her. She really did feel like her entire life was falling to pieces around her lately. It was as if everything she thought she knew was coming apart at the seams, leaving her to drift, aimless and alone, in the middle of the mess left behind.

“Hey,” Wade’s hand on her shoulder got her attention and the smile he gave her was comforting to say the least. “What do you need, Zoe?”

“A time machine?” she suggested. “I mean, if I could go back, just to the start of the academic year, maybe tell myself that sleeping with Logan is a really bad idea,” she considered, before shaking her head. “Of course, even that wouldn’t fix everything. My mom has been lying to me my whole life, Wade. I think that’s the part that’s messing me up the most. If she had just told the truth, everything would’ve been better. I could’ve known Harley this whole time, and even if she wanted to be with Ethan, that would’ve been okay, but at least we all would’ve known where we stood, and... I’m sorry,” she apologised then, seeing the look of awkwardness and pain she was causing on her friend’s face. “I’m being boring and miserable again, aren’t I?”

“You got the right, Zoe,” Wade assured her. “Hell, ain’t my place to say, but it seems to me your momma has caused her fair share o’ your troubles.”

“Oh, yeah,” Zoe agreed whole heartedly, “and trust me, that is why I am staying far, far away from New York for a while. Harley says I can stay here and, as much as Alabama was a million miles away from the plans I had for my future, it’s working for now, at least until I figure out where I go next. Um, don’t you have to be at work or something?” she asked Wade then, mindful of the time.

He checked his watch, then shrugged his shoulders. “I got some time yet. I start showin’ up early to the Rammer Jammer, folks are just gonna think I went crazy or some such. I ain’t exactly known for my timekeepin’.”

“Right,” said Zoe, nodding absently.

Quite honestly, she wasn’t altogether listening. She did appreciate that Wade came by to spend time with her, keep her company and offer support and everything. Harley had to work so much, he couldn’t be by her side every minute, and while Zoe knew she could cope alone, right now, it was nice not to have to. That said, with so many big decisions to make and things to figure out, Zoe found her mind was wandering more often than it wasn’t, which didn’t exactly make her a great conversationalist.

“So, the rest of your stuff is back at Yale?” asked Wade then. “I mean, you only brought a couple o’ bags when you came visitin’ Harley, right?”

“I did,” Zoe agreed, “and yes, most of my stuff is still at the dorm. I guess I should call Katie next, let her know I won’t be coming back. I’ll have to get movers to bring the rest of my things down here. They could probably bring anything I might need from New York too, but it’s going to get expensive.”

“Harley’d help you out with that,” said Wade easily. “Come on now, you know he would,” he insisted off the look Zoe shot him, “or, if you don’t want strangers messin’ with your stuff, I could drive on up there and get everything you need. Hey, you could come along too, we’ll make a road trip out of it.”

“Drive?” Zoe said incredulously. “From Alabama to Connecticut?”

“It’s not like I never did it before,” Wade told her, rolling his eyes. “How’d you think I come to see you in the first place? That was part of a job. Me and Nate Hilson from the hardware store, we drove a truck full of supplies up that way. Only took a couple of days with us two taking turns on driving.”

“Huh,” said Zoe, eyes wide with wonder. “I’m sorry, I just... I assumed you flew up or something. People don’t drive much in New York and... well, a lot is different down south,” she realised all over again.

“You’ll get the hang of it, Zoe,” Wade promised her as he got up from his seat. “After all, you got at least half your blood from down here, right?”

“So they tell me,” she agreed, standing up too and immediately wobbling.

“Hey, take it easy there,” said Wade as he steadied her. “Maybe you oughta sit right back down again. Not like I can’t find my own way to the front door to let myself out.”

“You’re leaving?” Zoe checked even as she sat back down in her seat as he advised.

“Didn’t you tell me a short while back I was gonna be late for work I didn’t go soon?”

Zoe hated to realise he was right. It was so stupid, when he was there, she was hardly talking to him, hardly listening either, and yet, when he said he had to go, she could so easily sit and cry her eyes out about it. It was simple enough to blame her messed up hormones for the whole crazy situation, but honestly, Zoe wondered if that were really her only problem here. She suspected not.

“Um, so, I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Uh, I’m gonna be working pretty much the rest of the day and then I gotta go see to Earl,” said Wade, rubbing the back of his neck. “Then tomorrow, I promised Delma Warner I’d go take a look at her porch and that’ll prob’ly lead to a bunch of other stuff she needs doing around her house, so...”

“Busy guy.” Zoe smiled up at him. “When I said ‘later’, I didn’t necessarily mean today or even tomorrow. You know, it’s just an expression. I’ll see you when I see you,” she said, waving away the whole situation with her hand.

“I guess you will,” Wade agreed, finding her a smile and patting her on the shoulder once before he finally said his goodbyes and left her alone.

Zoe bit her lip as she heard the screen door slam shut behind her friend. She was absolutely not going to cry about the fact her friend was busy and probably wouldn’t see her in the next couple of days. That was stupid. She could make other friends here, and she was going to call Katie to catch up with her too, plus Harley was around every morning and evening, as a minimum, to make sure she was okay.

“I used to be able to take care of myself,” Zoe reminded herself, wishing she hadn’t bothered to speak her thoughts aloud, because it only opened the floodgates to the tears she had been so desperately holding back.

A few minutes later, when the sobbing was all over, Zoe cleaned up her face and took a deep breath. She really did have to try harder with all this. Where was that New Yorker backbone she knew she had in there? Where was the Southern spirit she saw so much in others and knew now she must possess herself somehow? It was no good just making excuses and sitting around crying. She had to make some choices, some real plans for the future.

“It’s not easy, but it is possible,” Zoe told herself, reaching for her legal pad and turning to a new page.

Picking up her pencil she started to draw columns on the sheet in front of her so she could make pro-con lists, to do lists, and the like. Nothing was ever achieved by sitting around feeling sorry for herself, Zoe knew that much for sure. It was time to start looking to the future instead of the past. Time to figure out exactly where she went from here.

* * *

When Wade had first talked to Delma about mending her porch steps, he figured it would be a nothing kind of job that would take no time at all. Even if she had a couple more things for him to do, his plan was not to charge her any cash for the labour. He would just maybe accept a free lunch or something from her when she offered, which she pretty much always did when anyone was hanging around her place doing any kind of work.

Of course, it turned out to be more complicated than that, and then, she asked if he could take a look at a few other things, including cutting down the back lawn that was high enough to maybe have tigers stalking through it, and cleaning out the rain gutters that didn’t seem to have been touched since Noah built his boat.

Wade didn’t like to say no to a neighbour. His momma and Earl both had taught him the value of doing right by others and all. Plus, of course, with this much work to do, he’d actually have to get paid, and Wade was all for a few more dollars in his pocket, especially these past few weeks when Earl seemed to be having more bad days than good.

To a degree, Wade had to blame himself for his father’s downward spiralling, after all, he probably hadn’t given him quite so much attention as he should have. Zoe Hart was all kinds of distracting, in ways Wade never could’ve imagined when he first met her. She was something to look at, that was clear from the get-go, and unlike most girls he knew, he actually liked talking to her too. She was real smart, but never did talk down to him just because he wasn’t, and they seemed to have enough in common to get along okay. Then came the revelation that she was pregnant.

Even now, a couple of weeks on, Wade had no idea what he was supposed to say to her about that whole situation she was in. He could do the practical stuff, like offering to help her get her stuff back from Yale or New York or wherever, and he was happy enough to be her friend in town when she didn’t have so many, but how he was going to deal with the whole her having a baby angle, Wade had no idea.

It was going to get weird. This girl he liked, that was all kinds of hot right now, was going to get pretty obviously bigger, and then in a few months, she was going to have a kid of her own. Wade knew he was a fool if he got mixed up in all of that, and it sure wasn’t his plan to try to play happy families or anything with Zoe Hart and her child. At the same time, he didn’t like the idea of just walking away when she needed him. After all, he promised her she always had a friend in him. Wade just wished he knew exactly how that was supposed to work.

He had female friends, sort of. He and Lemon got along okay some of the time and he never once considered hitting on her, but that was a very different situation. How you were supposed to be buddies with a girl you liked as much as Wade liked Zoe, well, frankly, he had no idea.

“Hey, Hard Worker.”

He was so stunned by the sound of her familiar voice, Wade was lucky not to lose his footing and fall right off Delma’s roof.

“Sorry,” she said, as he peered down at her. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you okay?”

“Doin’ just fine,” Wade assured her as he moved over to the ladder and climbed down to the ground. “I’m pretty good with roofs. Well, you’ll find out all about that eventually, I guess.”

Zoe looked confused and Wade didn’t wonder at it. She was holed up in Harley’s house, not really seeing him when the first of the month rolled around, so she didn’t know yet about Earl’s regular ritual on the hardware store roof. That was most definitely a tale for another day.

“So, what brings you out here in the heat of late-afternoon, Miss Hart?” he asked her instead.

“Oh, I was just thinking maybe you were too busy to stop for food, so... I brought food,” she said, proffering a picnic basket at him. “I didn’t make anything. Well, the sandwiches, I made those, but I bought the pie and pastries and drinks at the Butterstick,” she explained.

“You went to all that trouble for me?” Wade asked her, sort of teasing her in a way, but at the same time, a little amazed that she cared so much.

After all, he wasn’t hers to bother about any. Not a relation like Harley, and not her boyfriend or anything. Certainly not the father of that kid she was carrying around. The thought of the baby made Wade immediately uncomfortable and, unfortunately, he realised, it must have showed.

“It really wasn’t a lot of trouble.” Zoe shook her head. “And if you had other plans, I can just...”

She turned to go and Wade hated that more than anything else.

“Hey, I never said I had other plans,” he called after her, wiping his hands on a rag. “Look, I just gotta go inside, get cleaned up, tell Delma I’m taking a break, that’s all,” he explained. “You okay out here for a little while?”

“Sure.” Zoe smiled, moving closer to the porch and sitting down on the steps to wait. “Just don’t be too long, okay? This food smells really good and I’m already hungry.”

Wade laughed at that, moving past her up to the house. “Two minutes, I promise,” he told her as he went, already knowing he would he faster if he possibly could be.

Maybe he was a fool, Wade thought, because it wasn’t as if this thing with him and Zoe could really go anywhere or be anything , not in the circumstances, and yet, for as long as he could fool himself that it might, it seemed like he was going to.


	16. Chapter 16

“Zoe!”

Katie squealed so loud that Wade was pretty sure she bust his ear drum even at two feet away. The way she threw herself at her friend was just a little worrying too, since she almost knocked her flying. She looked all kinds of apologetic when Zoe politely reminded her there was also a baby to consider.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Katie, backing off fast. “Wow, you can really tell now,” she said of Zoe’s bump, that wasn’t exactly huge but definitely noticeable at this point if she wore certain items of her clothes.

“Yeah, he’s making his presence felt,” Zoe admitted, “or she. I mean, I don’t actually know yet. That’ll be a few more weeks, but the first scan is the next job on the list, after we get all my stuff out of here.”

“We? Oh.” Katie seemed to notice all of sudden that Wade was even there.

It was strange how she was smiling at him then, after all, the first time they met she hadn’t exactly been all that welcoming or nice. Now she looked more likely to jump on him the way she leaped on Zoe. Well, maybe not exactly the same, if the look in her eye was anything to go by.

“Hi, again,” he said, smiling widely. “I’m guessin’ you’re not gonna be yelling at me this time around?”

“Oh, no, of course not. I’m so sorry about before,” Katie apologised, pushing her hair back off her face and giggling some. “I just... well, you know, you were a stranger, and Zoe is my friend, so...”

“I get it.” Wade nodded. “You were lookin’ out for a friend, but you should know that that’s all I was doin’ too. I got a friend back home who needed to get a message to his daughter,” he said, gesturing to Zoe, “and now I got this friend who needs some help gettin’ a truckload o’ stuff outta here.”

“Hey, I’m counting on both of you to help me with that,” Zoe said firmly as she moved past Katie into the dorm room, gesturing for Wade to follow too. “Harley made me promise not to lift anything heavier than a pillow, so it is all on you guys.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wade agreed. “You point me at all this stuff that needs haulin’, I’ll get it hauled.”

“Right there,” said Zoe pointing towards her bedroom. “Um, if you wanna start with the mattress and the boxes from the closet?” she suggested. “I need to go through the clothes and other stuff, get it packed up before you can move it.”

Wade nodded his agreement and got to work, disappearing into the bedroom to figure out the best way to shift the things he could already move. He pulled the door almost closed behind him, guessing that Zoe and Katie had things they wanted to say while he was out of the way. Girls always had so much to discuss that guys weren’t supposed to hear, he knew that, and he had no plans to get in the way of it.

Of course, there wasn’t much he could do about the fact the dorm was pretty small and even though they were clearly trying to be quiet, Zoe and Katie had the kind of voices that carried. Their conversation came through the crack in the door, loud and clear, as Wade opened up the closet and lifted out the boxes Zoe talked about, piling them up against the wall.

“You know I’ll totally help with your packing. Anything you need.”

“Thanks, Katie, you’re a real friend.”

“A friend who is going to miss you so much!”

Wade would bet any money at all they were hugging and probably on the verge of tears by then. Girls did a lot of fussing and crying too, from what he could figure out, especially pregnant girls.

“So, aren’t you ever coming back to Yale?” Katie asked then.

“Jury’s still out.” Zoe sighed. “Right now, I’m just focusing on things I can handle. So, we’re packing up my stuff from here and then moving on to New York to get the rest of my things from there, then home to Bluebell.”

“Home? Wow, it’s home already?”

“Kind of, yeah. I mean, maybe not forever. Like I said, really not sure what the future is going to be right now. I just know that I can’t be here, and I absolutely cannot be in New York with my mom. Harley is so nice, so kind and supportive, and he’s offered me a safe, decent place to be, so that’s where I’m going to stay, for now. After the baby comes... well, then maybe I can figure out a plan for college and even being a doctor, but I just need to do things one at a time right now.”

“That makes sense.”

Wade had to agree that Katie had a point, not that he was being asked, of course. He realised too late that he had been doing a lot of listening to what the girls were saying and not much moving of Zoe’s stuff. Shaking himself out of a daze, he shifted the rest of the boxes out of the closet, then moved over to the bed and started pulling the mattress off.

“What about Wade?” he heard Katie ask then, the sound of his name in particular catching his attention.

Much as he knew he shouldn’t, Wade stopped what he was doing to listen out for Zoe’s answer, even though he was pretty sure he already knew what it was going to be. They were just friends, that was all. In the circumstances, it was the only thing that made sense.

“Wade is... He’s just a really, really good friend,” Zoe confirmed. “I mean, if things were different, of course I’ve thought about it. I mean, I’m not blind, and he is so sweet and funny and everything, but with all of this going on? There’s just no way.”

It was a strange feeling, hearing her talk that way. Wade had an idea that maybe Zoe liked him the way he liked her, but that was back before he knew she was pregnant. Once that news was out, well, it changed things a lot. He supposed she wasn’t exactly looking for a guy in her life right now, having not long ago broken up with the baby’s father and all, plus not wanting to land some new boyfriend with her pregnancy troubles and family dramas. Still, it was something to know that, if things were different, he might’ve stood a chance.

“Wade?” called Zoe then. “Everything okay?” she checked, pushing the door open and peering inside.

“Everything is just fine, Zoe Hart,” he assured her, the mattress off the bed and on its side now so he could slide it on out of the door. “Now move your behind someplace else, okay? I gotta get this in the truck already.”

She did as he asked, flattening herself against one wall while Katie did much the same on the other, letting Wade squeeze by with his load. He whistled a happy tune as he went, pleased as punch just knowing that Zoe was probably watching him and wishing things were different. Of course, it was also kind of sad, knowing that nothing was ever actually going to happen with them, but it was still nice to think it could have, in another place and time.

* * *

“You doin’ okay there, Zoe?” Wade asked her, glancing from the road to her face as they paused at a stop sign.

“I’m fine,” she told him, forcing a smile that took way too much effort. “Okay, so, I’m not fine,” she admitted off his disbelieving look. “I want to be fine, but... I don’t know.”

“I think you do know,” Wade told her, eyes back on the road ahead now that he was free to move. “I think you’re just afraid of what’s gonna happen if your momma catches us emptying out your room.”

Zoe smiled at that, it was tough not to. She and Wade may not have known each other a very long time, but it sometimes felt like they had. He could read her like a book already, which was weird because she never really thought of herself as a transparent person. Maybe he was just that smart, despite the fact he usually liked to tell her that he wasn’t, for some reason.

“Thank you, Wade,” she said then. “I know I said that already, a lot, but I really mean it. I mean, you taking time out of work and driving me all the way here to get all my stuff... I know Harley is paying for the hotel and the gas and everything, but you’re still being a huge help and I really appreciate that.”

“You are more’n welcome, Zoe,” he promised her, eyes very firmly fixed on the road, she noticed.

Not that that was a bad thing because there was a lot of traffic around and Wade probably wasn’t used to that, but she got the feeling there was more to it than that. Guys didn’t always like it when girls got emotional and Zoe was _very_ emotional of late, thanks to those fun pregnancy hormones that had settled in. She did need Wade to understand how much she appreciated him though and words were really the only way she had to show him right now. Any other possible ways to show gratitude, well, it wasn’t as if they didn’t appeal to her, but in her current state, Zoe was very sure she didn’t appeal to Wade, not that way, not anymore.

“Which way now?” he asked, snapping her back to reality.

“Um, left here and then down into the parking garage,” she told him.

There was no time to think about anything else now but getting up to the apartment, packing up the rest of Zoe’s things and getting the hell out. She was pretty sure her mom wouldn’t be home, but it wasn’t guaranteed. Besides, Candice could come back to the apartment at any time and catch them in the act, just as Wade had said. Zoe could use a little less confrontation, a little more luck, and yet, thirty minutes later, she realised it was not to be.

“Crap!” she exclaimed when she heard the front door open and close. “She’s back. You think if we’re really quiet she won’t realise we’re here?” she whispered.

“You really wanna try that?” Wade whispered back, looking a little incredulous. “Seriously?”

“Hello?”

Zoe winced when she heard her mother call out then. She knew she had to go out there and say something. As much as Candice had upset her, she did not want her mom panicking about trespassers or whatever. Taking a deep breath, she opened the bedroom door and went out into the hallway.

“Hi,” she said, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

“Zoe, sweetheart.” Candice smiled, immediately coming towards her, but Zoe backed up a step.

“This is not a social call,” she said sharply. “We just came to collect some things.”

“We?”

“Afternoon, ma’am,” said Wade politely as he appeared behind Zoe with two boxes in his arms. “I’ll just, uh, put these in the truck.”

He squeezed his way towards the front door and out, with Candice staring after him. When she finally turned to face Zoe again, her mouth had dropped open.

“He’s... he’s the father?” she checked, sounding not just shocked but a little disgusted too.

That only made Zoe feel more annoyed. In fact, she was downright angry.

“No, Wade is not the father of my baby,” she explained crossly, “but if he were, then we would both be so lucky because he is a really great guy.”

Candice opened her mouth to say something else, but frankly, Zoe couldn’t bear to hear it. She really wasn’t in a place where she was comfortable figuring things out with her mom. One day, there would have to be a conversation, but today was not that day.

“I’m going to stay in Bluebell with Harley for a while,” she said, shifting awkwardly in place. “It’s better this way, Mom.”

“Zoe...”

“No, please,” she pulled her arm away the second Candice reached for her. “I can’t hear all the apologies and the excuses and the niceties again. I just... I don’t need it,” she said, squirming away.

Putting her head back into her room, Zoe discovered there was only one small box left to be carried down plus a bag with a few clothes in it. She could easily manage that without hurting herself, so she grabbed them up and made to leave.

“We need to talk, Zoe. You can’t just-”

“Yes, I can,” she argued, pushing forward to the front door. “You lied to me, Mom,” she reminded Candice angrily. “My whole life, you lied, but now, I know the truth. I’ve met my real father and he is so nice and kind and... and I would’ve understood if he was some whack job or a criminal or a pervert or whatever, but he’s not.”

“No, he’s not,” Candice agreed, eyes to the floor. “Harley Wilkes was a very decent man. He still is, I suppose.”

“He is,” Zoe assured her. “That’s why I’m going to stay with him for a while. I don’t know how long, but for now, it works for me, so that’s where I’ll be.”

She opened the door then and took one step out before turning back. “I guess I’ll call you sometime, when things are a little less crazy in my head. When I’ve had a chance to think some more.”

Candice nodded her understanding and Zoe left quickly then before the tears came for either of them. By the time she got to the elevator, the doors were just opening and Wade was there, clearly on his way back up from the previous trip to the truck.

“Hey,” he said, reaching to take her non-heavy load from her. “You okay?”

“No,” Zoe admitted, swallowing hard as she stepped into the elevator beside him, “but I will be,” she promised, forcing a smile.

“This the last of the stuff?”

“Mmhmm, all done.”

They rode the elevator all the way down and stepped out into the parking garage beneath the apartment block. Wade led the way back to the truck and packed the last of Zoe’s stuff inside as she looked on.

“You know, as great as Bluebell is, I’m going to miss New York. It’s been my home my whole life,” she said sadly. “I don’t suppose you’d wanna see a few things while you’re here, would you?” she asked Wade then. “I could give you the tour, if you wanted? Unless you need for us to get back right away?”

Wade had on one of those charming smiles of his as he closed up the back of the truck and came to put his arm around Zoe’s shoulders.

“Sounds like a plan to me, Zoe Hart,” he told her, giving her a breif sideways hug. “Come on, girl, show me what this big city of yours has got goin’ on.”


	17. Chapter 17

“I just feel bad about the money. I mean, we could’ve come home a whole day sooner if I hadn’t convinced Wade to let me show him the sights in New York. I never should’ve just assumed-”

“Zoe, honey, will you please calm down,” Harley insisted, his hand covering hers to keep them from flapping anymore. “Now, you just need to not worry about this anymore. I have money enough and who better to spend it on that my own daughter?” he insisted with a smile. “You wanted to show Wade Kinsella the big city, and I just know he was pleased as punch to see it. Besides, I think we owed him some fun after all the trouble he went to for us, and now, everything is all figured out. All your things are here, you got a chance to tell Candice what was going on. I personally don’t think it could’ve gone any better, could it?”

Zoe knew she really had no way to argue with him and she certainly didn’t want to. It had seemed a little unbelievable to her, when she first found out about her biological father, that he could be so kind and nice and accepting, all out of nowhere, but it was true. Harley Wilkes really was such a decent person, not perfect, of course, because who was in this world? Still, he really was a generous, decent type of man, and certainly, Zoe couldn’t ask for a better father. There was no way for her to just automatically call him ‘Dad’ or anything, but she was pretty sure she already loved him the way a person just naturally loved family. She was completely sure that he cared for her just as much, if not more so.

“I wish every little thing didn’t make me wanna cry,” she said then, sniffing hard in an attempt not to break down. “It’s like every happy thing, every sad thing...”

“That’ll pass, sweetheart,” Harley promised her, squeezing the hand he held still. “Pregnancy really does play havoc on the body in so many ways, but in the end, you know, children are worth the struggle. At least, I always think so,” he said with a warm and loving smile.

Zoe smiled back at him, nodding enthusiastically when he offered to make her some lunch. She was oddly hungry the last few days, but that was probably her body making up for the past few weeks when she was so nauseous all the time and hardly wanted to eat at all. Besides, the way she was starting to expand was probably taking some energy too, she noted, looking down at her stomach that was starting to stretch out her clothes a little. She really was going to have to think about changing the way she dressed for a while, putting on some baggier shirts and dresses.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m going to forget you’re there,” said Zoe softly, her arm going gently around her swelling stomach.

There wasn’t really a baby in there yet, at least, nothing that looked like a person exactly. Zoe had studied all the pregnancy books since she found out she was carrying a child of her own, adding to the base knowledge she already had from a voracious interest in all things medical. Of course, no book could tell her about the specifics of her own child or her own pregnancy. The scan would help with that, the one she was going to have tomorrow morning. Technically, it should’ve been at twelve weeks, but with one thing and another, it had got a little delayed. At fourteen weeks now, Zoe would find out if everything was fit and healthy and normal inside in less than twenty-four hours’ time. It was as nerve-wracking as it was exciting.

“You know, the thought occurs to me,” said Harley as he returned to her, carrying a tray with soup, bread, and drinks for two, “with all the talk of the Holidays coming up, Christmas and everything, we’re overlooking something that might be important to you,” he said, frowning a little as he served up the lunch. “Isn’t it Hanukkah sometime around now?”

Zoe smiled at how thoughtful he was being, even as she thanked him for her lunch.

“Technically, it started this past Sunday and runs until next Monday,” she explained of the Jewish holiday, “but we really don’t have to do anything special, it’s fine. I’m not super-religious or anything. Honestly, it’s not Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other event like that that’s on my mind right now.” Zoe sighed as she picked at a bread roll. “The truth is, I am so nervous about this scan tomorrow, and I know it’ll all be fine,” she said fast. “You explained everything, answered all my questions, I’m not actually afraid of the process or anything, because that would be crazy, but it’s just... well, you know, the whole seeing the baby thing? Kind of freaks me out.”

“Makes it very real all of a sudden, doesn’t it?” said Harley knowingly. “You wouldn’t believe the number of women I have talked to about this over the years, Zoe. Those that wanted to be mothers will all their heart, others that were set on the idea of never having a child at all. You know, everything seems to change, one way or the other, the moment an expectant mother sees their baby for the first time, even if it is in a fuzzy picture before the child is hardly a child at all.”

“I think that’s what bothers me,” Zoe admitted, eyes on the food she had yet to eat much of so far. “I mean, right now, I feel like I’m okay with the whole pregnancy thing. It wasn’t the plan, but I figure, I can deal, you know? Then I think, what if when I see the baby - when it becomes really, really real - what if I stop thinking I can do it? What if...?”

“Honey, don’t do that to yourself,” Harley advised her gently. “Don’t live wondering ‘what if?’ because it never does do a person any good at all. You think I haven’t done that enough myself?” he said with a sad smile. “The times I lie awake at night, wondering, ‘What if I had known Candice was pregnant? What if I had been there to raise Zoe from the start? What if we had been a family here in Bluebell all together?’” He stopped and shook his head. “It wasn’t to be, Zoe, and there’s really no point wondering on it now. What’s done is done, and personally, I like to think that everything happens for a reason. God has a plan, and even though I don’t always understand exactly what that plan is, I trust in it. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to...”

“I know,” Zoe assured him, noticing the worry that came into his voice as he realised, he might be offending her in some way, which he wasn’t, at all. “I might be a little non-denominational in what I believe,” she admitted, “but I do think somebody, somewhere has some control over this crazy world. Whoever or whatever that power is, I’m here because of it... or him... or her,” she considered, frowning some when she realised she was kind of making a mess of explaining herself. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I believe I’m here for a reason, that I finally met you for a reason, that I’m having this baby for a reason,” she said, smiling again by now. “Crazy as it sounds, I feel at home here, in Bluebell, with you and Wade and everybody. I actually don’t think I’ve ever felt as at home anywhere before, not even in New York. Weird, huh?”

Harley didn’t agree with her, but he did smile and encourage her to eat her soup before it got cold. Given what he already told her about believing God always had a plan for them all, Zoe supposed he didn’t think it was weird at all that she felt so comfortable in Bluebell. Maybe this was just exactly where she was supposed to end up, maybe even in the condition she found herself in. That did sound crazy to Zoe, no question, but she was okay with it, for now.

* * *

“Hey, Zoe!”

She was just about to get into the car when she heard her name yelled and looked across the square to see Wade rushing towards her. It was impossible not to smile just at the sight of him, though Zoe was determined not to examine why she was always so pleased to see Wade whenever he showed up. That could only lead to no good.

“Glad I caught up to you before you left,” he said as he arrived at her side. “Wanted to wish you luck, or whatever it is you say to folks who are goin’ where you’re goin’.”

Zoe couldn’t help but laugh at Wade’s odd expression. She supposed there really was no set phrase or good wishes to say to someone going for their first pregnancy scan, but it was incredibly touching that Wade wanted to say the right thing in the given situation. He seemed to be happy enough to go out of his way to be so kind to her and it wasn’t as if he was doing it for the reward. Nothing was going on with them beyond friendship, and given he knew she was pregnant by another man, it was hardly likely to either.

“I don’t really think good luck can ever be a bad thing, so I’ll take it, thanks,” she said, smiling up at him. “Not that I expect there to be any problems, and Harley will be there to hold my hand, so, it’s fine,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Oh, he’s just getting snacks for the journey,” she explained when Wade seemed bemused as to why she was standing by the car alone. “I tend to be hungry a lot and at the weirdest times. Pregnancy issues,” she said, waving her hand in some random gesture.

“Right, sure.” Wade nodded, his own hands stuffed in his pockets by now as he shifted awkwardly. “Um, so, I guess I should get to work and let you go get your scan or whatever. Uh, I’ll see you later?”

“Probably.” Zoe nodded. “Are you at the Rammer Jammer today?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he told her happily. “You thinkin’ about swinging by for lunch or somethin’?”

“Promise to mix me another one of those amazing mocktails you’re so good at and I’ll be there,” she told him with a grin.

“You got it, Zoe Hart,” he told her with a wink as he started to back away. “You take care of yourself, okay?”

“You too,” she told him, wondering where that particular bout of concern had come from on either of their parts, but it was nice anyway.

Before Wade had hardly turned and walked away, Harley emerged from the store with chips, cookies, and bottled water. He looked a little confused as he glanced at Zoe and that was how she came to realise she was grinning like a fool.

“Wade was here,” she said, by way of explanation. “He was just wishing me good luck. Also, he was suggesting maybe we could go to the Rammer Jammer for lunch when we get back.”

“I see.” Harley nodded like he understood and yet he wasn’t smiling quite as much as he usually was, as he and Zoe both got into the car to head to Mobile. “Zoe, I’m not so sure... Well, maybe I shouldn’t say it.”

“No, please,” she insisted, hand on Harley’s arm stopping him from starting up the car just yet. “If you have something to say, just say it. Please?” 

Harley sighed as he turned in his seat to face her. “Zoe, I don’t wanna be the kind of parent who pushes his nose into his daughter’s business. You’re nineteen years old and as independent as can be, that much is clear to me already. Of course, any help you need, I want to give it. I hope you know that.”

“I do,” she assured him, nodding her head.

“Then I hope you take what I’m about to say in the way that it’s intended, which is to be helpful and... and with your best interest at heart. Take a care of yourself around Wade Kinsella, won’t you?”

Zoe frowned at that but didn’t argue at all. She did, however, require a little more explanation.

“When you say ‘take care’ like that, what exactly do you mean?” she checked. “I mean, he’s a nice guy, you told me that yourself.”

“Wade is a fine young man, I don’t deny,” Harley assured her, making placating gestures with his hands even now. “I won’t hear a word said against him and he has proved himself a good friend to you when you really needed one. I wouldn’t want you to think for a moment I was sayin’ he was anythin’ but a good boy, it’s only... well, you know, he does have that reputation of his, with young women.”

“Oh,” said Zoe then, turning to look out of the windshield rather than at her father.

“I don’t mean to embarrass you, sweetheart,” said Harley gently, “and I’m not only sayin’ this because of your pregnancy and everything, although it does make some difference, of course. It’s just... well, as much as I like Wade, you are the one that matters to me the most, for obvious reasons. I would hate to see you hurt, Zoe.”

She wasn’t exactly sure what Harley was implying, in what way he thought she might get hurt, but she could imagine. Whether she was pregnant or not, Wade could try to seduce her and then cast her aside. Zoe didn’t want to think that of her friend, but she was aware that was his reputation in town. It was kind of hard not to have heard the rumours anyway.

On top of that, she supposed Harley was thinking that maybe she was getting a little too attached to a guy that was just going to find someone of his own in time and not want to be around her so much, especially when the baby came along. After all, what normal, sane person of their age wanted to be saddled with another person’s child?

“Zoe?”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, forcing a smile as she turned to look at Harley then. “You know, we should really get going. I don’t want to be late for my appointment.”

“Okay.” Harley nodded, pulling on his seatbelt and starting up the car. “You sure you’re okay, Zoe?”

“Absolutely,” she promised, “and thank you, for what you said. I’m glad to have you looking out for me and I appreciate you being candid about these things and not treating me like a child.”

That answer seemed to please Harley and he put the car into gear, driving off towards Mobile. Zoe focused on the road ahead too and on what came next when they got to the hospital. Still, she could hardly keep her mind from wandering and thinking more about what had been said about her and Wade.

Maybe she had been foolish, ignoring feelings she knew she did have for her so-called friend, allowing herself and Wade both to be flirty and overly friendly, as if everything was so innocent and okay. Maybe that was wrong. Maybe she should think seriously on doing something about that.


	18. Chapter 18

She felt sort of committed to going into the Rammer Jammer for lunch after pretty much telling Wade that she would. Of course, after everything Harley had said before they headed off to Mobile today, Zoe wasn’t quite so comfortable now as she had been when she made the arrangement with her friend.

Given where she had just been and what she had been doing, Zoe was well aware her mind should be on more important things than the status of her relationship with Wade Kinsella. In her purse was a picture of the baby growing inside of her. There was no way to know the gender yet, but the little foetus was doing well, everything looked healthy and normal and good.

When Zoe saw him or her on the screen, her eyes had welled up with tears and when she looked at Harley she found him in a similar state. It was all so emotional, but that fear and panic Zoe had expected never did come, which was a great relief. She suspected Harley’s kind smile and his hand gripping her own helped a lot.

Unfortunately, as they headed back to Bluebell, Zoe stopped thinking about her baby in quite the same terms as she had at the hospital. She wanted this child and she would raise him or her as best she could. At some point, she could figure out how her education and career fitted in too. What she couldn’t make work right now was how she was going to fit Wade into her life from here.

What Harley said was true enough. Wade had a reputation, he had told her that himself, and Zoe had always been aware of it. Since he had never actually asked her out or anything, she didn’t worry about it, though he seemed like he wanted to for a while there. Once the news of her pregnancy was out, things certainly changed, at least for a while, but these past couple of weeks, she and Wade really had become so close, like the best of friends. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but Zoe knew very well that what she was feeling was not all friendship, and strange as it seemed, there were times when she wondered if Wade still had those feelings for her too.

Those wonderings were quashed almost immediately she walked into the Rammer Jammer with Harley that lunch time. Wade was leaning into a booth, flirting up a storm with a pretty blonde that Zoe had never seen before. As she and Harley sat down at a nearby table, she couldn’t take her eyes off the girl that had all of Wade’s attention. It was fully five minutes before he even seemed to realise he had other customers, never mind the fact that one of them was Zoe.

“Well, hey there, Zoe Hart,” he said when he finally turned around and spotted her. “Harley,” he said, nodding to her father also. “Everything go okay over in Mobile?” he said with a look, clearly unsure if he should actually be mentioning the hospital or the scan.

“Everything went just fine,” said Harley when Zoe didn’t answer for too long.

She hadn’t consciously stayed silent, but somehow, when she looked at Wade now, he seemed so different. She could blame Harley for what he said in the car this morning or she could say it was about the girl across the room that was also staring at Wade yet, but Zoe had a feeling it was neither one of those things specifically. Mostly, she realised, she probably felt different because of the baby.

“It’s official,” she said aloud, without really meaning to. “I’m going to be a mother.”

“Well, I was pretty sure we knew that already,” said Wade with a chuckle that almost sounded nervous. “I guess it is all official and everything now though, huh?”

His smile wavered a little and Zoe was sure she knew why. Maybe he did think about it sometimes too, the idea that they might have made a good couple. It wasn’t really possible in the circumstances. He wasn’t the type for any kind of settling down in the first place, everybody knew that and Wade never hid it. Even if he might have changed his mind, there was no way he would do it for her, for another man’s child. 

Maybe it would be better if they weren’t so close, even as friends. Maybe it was better for everybody if they stopped pretending right now, Zoe thought, even as she stared down at the scan picture she just retrieved from her purse.

“Zoe?” said Harley then, his hand on her arm to get her attention. “You wanna order, sweetheart?”

“Sure,” she said, nodding her head and forcing a smile.

She glanced at the menu, told Wade in the smallest number of words as possible that she would have a sandwich and a soda, thanks.

“Thought you wanted one of those fancy drinks I made for you before?” he said, with that usual charming grin that could make any woman weak at the knees.

“No, thanks,” Zoe told him, shaking her head. “Just a soda. Um, I think your girlfriend is trying to get your attention,” she said then, gesturing back towards the blonde from before.

Wade glanced away and then back. “She ain’t my girlfriend,” he explained. “That’s just Tansy. I’ve known her practically my whole life but we’re not... well, not that we couldn’t be, but we’re not,” he explained, phrasing things a little more carefully than he might sometimes, since Harley was right there.

“My, my, little Tansy Truitt,” he said himself as he looked over at her. “She surely has grown up into a very pretty young lady.”

“Yes, sir,” Wade agreed wholeheartedly.

Zoe hated how much that hurt. She had no right to be wounded by Wade thinking some other girl was attractive. Hell, even if they had been dating, he had a right to notice if a good-looking person walked by, and she was sure she would do the same. Still, there was a horrible ache somewhere between her chest and her stomach, just knowing that Wade had other women in his life, women who looked like Tansy and had a right to expect a guy like that to want to take them out on dates and spend all their time trying to make them happy.

“I thought you were getting us our lunch,” she said too snippily, looking up at Wade.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he said, seemingly having to shake himself from staring at Tansy and head off to the kitchen.

Zoe took a deep, calming breath and tried to think of any other topic to talk to Harley about. She was relieved when he started to say something himself, at least, she was until she realised what it was he was saying.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” he told her. “Wade and Tansy, they’ve known each other a long time and she’s... well, I think she might be a good distraction for him, if you see what I mean.”

“Absolutely.” Zoe nodded in agreement, even if she wasn’t really feeling it. “Um, so, do you have to work at all this afternoon?” she asked, hoping to change the subject. “I’m assuming Dr Breeland won’t cover for you all day without so much as a lunch break.”

“Brick can cope just fine, don’t you worry about that,” Harley insisted, patting her hand. “Although, if you think you might be alright by yourself a while this afternoon, I probably should poke my head in at the practice,” he said with consideration. “I just don’t want to abandon you, Zoe.”

“No reason for her to be by herself, Harley, even if you do have to be elsewhere,” said Wade, returning to the table with their order and placing it in front of them with a flourish. “Zoe can always hang out here a while, right, Zo?” he said to her. “I gotta work, obviously, but at least you’d have people around, wouldn’t be so lonely or whatever.”

“I’m not lonely,” she snapped, wishing immediately that she hadn’t done it, but it was a little too late then. “Thank you, but I don’t need you to babysit me all of the time, Wade,” she told him, in a calmer tone, though he still looked a little stung by her words.

“I didn’t know that was what I was doin’,” he said, shaking his head. “Thought we was just friends, that’s all.”

“Well, we are,” Zoe agreed, “but you can have other friends too,” she said, eyes darting to the far table where Tansy was sitting and then back again. “She looks like she’s in a more sociable mood than me anyway.”

She very deliberately turned her chair to the table then and made a big deal of eating her sandwich. The whole time, Zoe was wating for Wade to walk away and didn’t fully relax until she finally heard him go. She couldn’t even look at Harley, unsure if she was more worried that he would tell her she had done the right thing or that he might admonish her for being too cruel. He seemed to sense that she didn’t want a third-party opinion and just got on with eating his lunch too. Zoe was so grateful for that right now.

* * *

“Wade Kinsella, if I don’t know your reputation by now, then I never will.” Tansy rolled her eyes. “Why would I wanna go ahead and agree to a date with you anyhow?”

“Because you know that nobody around here will show you a better time than I can, Tans,” he reminded her with a grin. “Come on now, you know I’m right.”

She giggled into her soda and he knew he had her hooked. Sure, he was probably an ass for asking her out just because Zoe put the idea in his head. More than that, just because she had pissed him off and made him want to get with anybody else just to make her as mad as hell. Not that Wade didn’t like Tansy well enough. They always did get along, and every time he saw her, she seemed a little more confident, a little more beautiful. He couldn’t imagine regretting his decision to ask her out.

“I must be crazy,” she said then, rolling her eyes, “but yes, okay, you can take me out tonight,” she agreed at last. “But when I say out, I do mean out, Wade Kinsella. You are not gettin’ away with bringing me right back here to the Rammer Jammer and then putting the moves on me in the back of your truck. I got me more class than that.”

“Yes, ma’am, you do,” he agreed, picking up her hand and kissing it then walking away backwards. “You won’t regret this, Tans,” he told her loudly, before turning around and getting right back to work.

He made a point of ensuring Zoe heard what he said and glanced her way to see what her reaction might be. She had a face on her like an incoming thunderhead and that was what he hoped for. She could be all stuck-up and weird around him now if she wanted to and that was fine. After all, it’s not like she and him really had anything going. Yes, he was friendly to her and she was kind of friendly back, maybe even a little flirty sometimes, but Wade had to admit he knew the score.

Zoe was pregnant by some fool from Yale that didn’t even want her. Six months from now, she would be literally left holding the baby and Wade didn’t want no part of that. Wasn’t his kid, wasn’t his responsibility. If Zoe Hart didn’t want him around, that was all well and good, because Wade had quite decided he didn’t want her either.

“More trouble than she’s worth,” he muttered to himself as he bussed a couple of tables.

Of course, two minutes later, as he saw Harley and Zoe leave, him with a friendly wave but her with hurt evident in her eyes, Wade didn’t feel quite so good about what he had done. Sure, it seemed to him that she deserved to feel a little pain after being so snotty with him, but he also figured Zoe had her reasons for being a little off, today of all days.

Reality came up to smack her in the face when she got to that hospital, he supposed. She was pregnant this whole time, but now she had seen the kid she was carrying. That had to be so many kinds of scary and weird, Wade could hardly imagine. He figured he didn’t have to, reminding himself one more time how that whole mess really did have nothing at all to do with him, and yet.

For a few seconds, he reconsidered everything. Maybe he should just tell Tansy it wasn’t happening and go over to the Wilkes place tonight. Maybe he could talk to Zoe about whatever was bothering her, give her a chance to explain, even apologise maybe, and then tell her he was sorry too. They could patch it all up, be friends again. Maybe more than friends?

Wade closed his eyes and forced a deep breath through his lungs. He really was a Grade A fool! Like he could really be with Zoe in the circumstances. Didn’t she just make it pretty damn plain that wasn’t what she wanted anyway?

“I’m not lonely.”

Zoe’s words replayed in his head, along with a scathing expression that made him wince even now.

“I don’t need you to babysit me all of the time, Wade.”

Odd choice of words, he thought. Babysit. Maybe that was what he had been doing, coddling the girl when she most needed to learn to stand on her own two dainty little feet. God only knew why he felt this insane need to help her, protect her, be everything she needed. She had a daddy already, she sure didn’t need a big brother, and hell, that wasn’t even what he was really hoping for anyway. What he wanted couldn’t ever happen, Wade was real sure of that right now.

Picking up the dirty dishes and trash from the table he had been clearing, Wade headed for the kitchen, catching a real big grin from Tansy as he went.

“Looking forward to tonight already, Wade,” she told him happily.

Finding her a smile, Wade nodded his head. “Me too, Tans,” he assured her.

It was a relief to realise that she didn’t notice how his heart wasn’t really in it.


	19. Chapter 19

“Merry Christmas, Zoe,” said Harley, wearing a large smile as he produced her gift with a flourish.

“Thank you,” she said, as she took the wrapped box from him, forcing a smile back at him but finding it hard.

Honestly, she had every reason to be grateful to her father and ought to feel lucky that he was being so understanding about her situation. He had welcomed her into his life, into his home, and consistently provided everything she needed, regardless of money or inconvenience to himself. Zoe already felt as if she could love him like the dad he seemed to want to be to her, and this really ought to be a wonderful Christmas, but the truth was, it just couldn’t be.

Though she tore into her gift with as much gusto as she could muster and was genuinely happy with the effort Harley had clearly gone to in choosing it for her, Zoe couldn’t really say she was having a good day or that she expected it to get any better. Though Christmas was a time for family, and she was here with her natural father, she hadn’t talked to her mom in three weeks now. Then there was Wade, but Zoe was trying even harder not to think about him than about Candice.

“If it’s not to your taste...” Harley was saying of the gift and Zoe realised too late that she must have zoned out again.

“I promise, I love it,” she swore, even as she put the box aside. “Thank you so much,” she said again, rising to her feet and leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. “You really shouldn’t even have bought me anything. You’ve already done so much-”

“Oh, hush now,” Harley insisted, patting her hand when she sat back in her seat. “I think I have plenty of making up to do for all those years I wasn’t in your life, no matter the reason why,” he told her definitely. “Now, what I don’t understand is what that bag right there might be,” he said, nodding to the gold-coloured giftbag tucked on the other side of Zoe’s chair. “Now, didn’t I tell you plain enough not to go wasting your money on me, Zoe?”

“What can I say? I don’t always take instruction well,” she said with a more genuine smile, reaching for the bag and handing it over. “Merry Christmas, Harley.”

The smile began to fade again even as her father opened up his gift. It wasn’t that she was worried he wouldn’t like it, because she already knew it was exactly what he would like. She had Wade to thank for that. Wade who had been with her when she went to collect her things from first Yale and then New York, who had seen the perfect gift for Harley in a store window and told Zoe as much. She bought it immediately, thanking him so much for his help and hiding that same gift away until now.

It seemed too strange to think that, just a month ago, she was celebrating Thanksgiving, or rather Planksgiving, in the company of her good friend Wade, and now, it had been a solid week since they had said more than ‘Hello’ to each other in passing. Zoe knew she couldn’t blame him, after all, she had been the one to tell him she didn’t need him babysitting her all the time. It was supposed to be better, to not let him get so close and confuse issues the way he had been up to now, deliberately or not.

It hurt. Even though it was Zoe’s choice, her decision to have Wade leave her be, she almost wished he hadn’t listened and insisted on continuing to be there for her. That was selfish and stupid and wrong, she was well aware, but she still wished it. Instead, Wade had started to enjoy the company of other people again, other girls, specifically. First, Tansy Truitt, and then some brunette, followed by a redhead, all within the week. Zoe made a joke to Harley about him trying to collect a whole set or something, but he hadn’t found it at all funny, and honestly, neither had Zoe.

“Well, that is something.”

She was brought back to the present moment by Harley staring in wonderment at his Christmas gift. He liked it, of course he did, and that was great, but once again, Zoe had to fake a smile when he told her as much.

“Thank you, Zoe. That is just wonderful,” he told her, leaning over to give her a hug and kiss her cheek too.

“You’re welcome,” she assured him. “It’s not like I have a whole bunch of people to buy gifts for, so...” she said, shrugging her shoulders, glad she didn’t feel quite so emotional as she might have.

The constant crying at just about everything had eased a little in the past couple of weeks, which was good. With that and the morning sickness all gone, Zoe was just waiting for the next unpleasant pregnancy symptom to put in an appearance. She hoped rather than believed things would go a little more smoothly from here. Something certainly needed to.

“Well, I can guess what you’re thinking about right now,” said Harley, catching her attention again. “Next Christmas, things will be mighty different for us all.”

His eyes strayed downward and only then did Zoe realised she had her arm around the slight swell of her stomach. The baby, of course, that was what he was talking about, and it was true enough that Zoe had been thinking about her child, though perhaps not in the same glowing terms. She hadn’t even got as far as considering what it would be like this time next year, with a six-month-old baby in her lap. She wondered what it would mean to Harley too. After all, he never got the chance to see her at that age.

“I’m sorry you missed so much,” she told him sadly. “My first Christmas, first birthday, first everything, really,” she said, shaking her head. “I wish you could’ve been there.”

“Now, Zoe,” he said, reaching for her hand, “we talked about this already. It’s not your fault, nor mine either, and I don’t even wanna hear how your mother made the wrong choice. I don’t think of her with any malice in my mind or heart, not anymore. If not for Candice and how much I loved her once upon a time, you wouldn’t be here at all, and the world would be a worse place for it,” he promised her.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling bravely. “And hey, at least you’ll get to see all the firsts with your grandchild. That’s something, right?”

“That is going to be so special,” Harley promised her, “and not just for me either. Now, before all of that happens, I would like you to remember that you are a young woman, experiencing Christmas in a new place for the first time,” he said then, rising quickly from his seat and encouraging her to do the same. “I think it’s just about time we ventured out into the world. I, for one, have a church service to go to, and neighbours to wish a Merry Christmas too. Will you take a walk with me, Zoe?” he asked, offering his hand to her.

There was a part of Zoe that wanted to say no, knowing it was easier to hide, from some of the less-nice neighbours and townsfolk in general, from Lemon and her Belle friends who were all back from college again, from Wade who would doubtless have a new bimbo on his arm at the very next opportunity. Of course, sometimes you had to do what wasn’t easy. Parents often had to do that, Zoe knew, so it was probably best she got used to it, right now.

“I would love to talk a walk,” she told Harley, placing her hand in his own and letting him help her up. “Let’s go wish the rest of Bluebell a Merry Christmas.”

* * *

Most people wanted to be at the church service in town. Harley had asked Zoe if she wanted to go in or not and in the end she had declined. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in God or even that she was such a devout Jew as to make her being in a Christian church seem so very wrong, she just didn’t feel like sitting amongst what mostly seemed to be the older denizens of Bluebell, potentially getting preached at, and being encouraged to put any energy she could muster into carol singing. Mild as winters were in Alabama, it was no problem to her to sit out in the town square, watching the world go by.

Not everybody in Bluebell was desperate to be in church, and some that were had left their kids outside in the square, making the most of their new gifts, Zoe supposed. There were some on bicycles, others on scooters and even skateboards. A little boy dragged a smart red wagon and a little girl pushed a shiny stroller with a baby doll sat proudly inside. It made Zoe smile, at first, and then she started to realise all over again how close she was to being a parent, how she would have a baby by next Christmas, a child who might ask for some of these kind of gifts, just two or three years from now.

“Mind if I join you?”

Zoe physically jumped when someone suddenly spoke to her, her hand covering her heart as she turned to look into the handsome face just above her.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that,” said George Tucker with a nervous smile. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine,” Zoe assured him, waving away his concern. “Um, please, sit down,” she urged him, moving over from the centre of the bench to one side so there was more room. “Merry Christmas, by the way.”

“And to you, Zoe,” he told her, grin back to full beam by now. “I was surprised to see you out here by yourself.”

“Well, Harley is at the service,” she said, gesturing towards the church. “It’s not really my scene.”

“Right.” George nodded, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Well, usually, it would be mine, but as it turns out, Momma didn’t wanna leave home to come into town until my brother, Harry, arrived and he was runnin’ late, so... I’m sorry, you don’t wanna hear all my family issues, do you?”

“I don’t mind.” Zoe shrugged easily. “Honestly, I think I’d rather hear about your problems than continue to think about my own on a constant and very annoying loop.”

She was glad he didn’t ask what her problems were, but then, Zoe assumed George could guess. After all, she was pregnant and without a father for her child, plus there was the whole just-discovered-who-her-real-father-was thing. Oh yes, Zoe Hart’s family dramas were well-known already, without her ever having to explain. She hadn’t thought of George Tucker having problems though. He always seemed so happy.

“I guess my problems aren’t so big,” he said eventually. “It’s just... I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my brother to death, I do, but Harry and me are different kinds of people and... well, I guess it’s the same with all families. You always love ‘em, but they still drive you crazy sometimes.”

“I guess they do.” Zoe nodded her agreement. “Um, what about Lemon? I mean, you and she are very close, right? Are you spending any time with her today?”

“I am hopin’ so, later on, but she has her sister to see to. Magnolia is such a little thing and with their mother long gone... well, she has enough to keep her busy with her own family right now.”

Zoe nodded in understanding. She had heard about the whole situation with the Breelands. It was sad, but honestly, she didn’t like Lemon any better for it, just felt kind of sorry for her in a way. At least she still had her father and her sister. George may complain about his brother, but he had a sibling and parents to be with.

“Wade must be with his father,” she said suddenly, as the thought occurred to her. “They’re probably having a great time,” she said with a sigh.

“Uh, I don’t know how humour works in New York, but that’s not funny, Zoe,” George replied, looking pretty serious about it.

Zoe frowned. “I wasn’t... Um, okay, what did I say wrong? Oh, right,” she said fast before George barely got his mouth open to explain. “His dad has kind of a problem with alcohol, doesn’t he?”

“You could say that.” George nodded. “You still never met Earl?”

“Nope.” Zoe shook her head. “I asked a couple of times but Wade was not keen. I guess that’s understandable. I wouldn’t want to introduce anybody to my mother when she drinks, so...”

“You know, Earl doesn’t just drink socially or for fun, he has a serious problem,” said George, looking more at his own hands than at Zoe. “I don’t know what Wade has told you about his momma. I figured you knew most of it, given how close you guys seemed.”

“I know she died,” said Zoe warily. “That’s when the drinking problem started, right?”

“Yes.” George nodded once. “When we were all of ten years old... right before Christmas.”

Zoe’s eyes closed of their own accord as she winced hard. Right before Christmas. The anniversary of Wade’s mother dying was just a few days ago, potentially even the very day that she was so awful to him at the Rammer Jammer. Right when Wade probably needed all the friends and comfort he could get, Zoe turned on him like a viper, and after all that he had done for her.

“Oh, God, I’m a horrible person,” she declared, covering her face with her hands.

“I don’t think that’s really true,” said George kindly. “Zoe, come on, if you didn’t know?”

“I didn’t know,” she admitted, as he gently pulled her hand from her face and looked at her with no small amount of concern. “I swear, I had no idea it was the anniversary, or even how bad his dad was.”

George shook his head. “Wade doesn’t talk about it much. I just thought... well, like I said, with you two seeming so close...”

“We were,” Zoe agreed, swallowing hard, “until the last few days when I was so horrible and stupid.”

She stamped her feet in frustration, immediately debating whether she should go and see Wade right away or not. In the end, she decided on no. After all, she had done enough damage. To go barrelling over to his house now, intruding on things, pushing herself in where she didn’t belong, that would absolutely make it worse. Maybe tomorrow, or in a couple of days, then she would go. She would apologise and make things right, she just had to.

“You okay, Zoe?” George asked her then.

“No,” she said, smiling bravely, “but I will be. I just made a dumb mistake, that’s all.”

“Well, we all do that from time to time, we’re all human after all,” he said, smiling back at her, “but hey, it’s a time for love and understanding and forgiveness, right? I’m sure you can make things right.”

He excused himself a moment later, hurrying across the square to meet up with Lemon, Zoe noted, though she didn’t care much. All she could think about now was Wade, in a different way to how he was crowding her thoughts earlier on. She really did have a lot of making up to do, even if she had screwed up mostly without knowing how badly she was doing it.

“A time for forgiveness,” she said to herself, eyes turning heavenward. “I just keep on screwing up, huh?”

As she said it, the clouds parted, the sun breaking through and shining down onto Zoe’s face. She wasn’t sure if she believed in miracles, but that was quite the coincidence, at the very least, so she took it as a hopeful sign that everything between her and Wade could be fixed, in time. She wanted to believe, so she did.


	20. Chapter 20

“You sure about this, Zoe?” Harley asked as he pulled the car into park outside of the Kinsella place.

“Not really,” she admitted, shaking her head, “but I can’t wait anymore. I have an apology to make and, whether Wade likes me being here or not, he should at least let me say I’m sorry before he throws me off the property, right?”

Harley sighed. “You know, I’m still sorry myself for my part in all this, for making you think you should ever push him away like you did, but for all his faults, I know Wade to be a decent sort of a young man. I’m sure he’ll hear you out, no matter what. Still, just in case he’s not in a sociable mood, I’ll wait right here for you,” he said with his usual kind smile.

“Thanks.” Zoe smiled back, though the expression soon wavered as she stepped out of the car and looked to the house in front of her.

It wasn’t much of a house, not a family home or anything, just a shack really. Harley told her how the Kinsellas used to have a nicer place in years gone by, when their family was made up of four instead of two. Now it was just Wade and the man Zoe had heard referred to in town as Crazy Earl, Bluebell’s very own alcoholic resident.

Much of the detail of Wade’s childhood and such, he had told her himself, though only in small doses, and he really never did talk about his mother’s death, which Zoe supposed was understandable. Still, she wished she had known when it had happened, so she hadn’t gone ahead and upset him at the worst possible time. As if she didn’t feel bad enough about being a bitch to him, but on the anniversary of his mother’s passing? That was just the worst thing she could have done.

“You didn’t know,” Zoe reminded herself as she stepped up to the front door, “and anyway, you’re here to apologise. Just concentrate on that.”

Taking a deep breath, Zoe knocked on the door and waited. When no answer came for quite a while she wondered if she should try again. She had just glanced back to where Harley waited for her in the car when suddenly she heard movement and turned around again fast to find Wade standing before her, wearing only his jeans.

“Oh, um, hi,” she said awkwardly, trying her best not to be distracted by his abs, which did not come easy at all.

“What’re you doin’ here?” he asked, sounding more tired than angry, Zoe noted.

“Um, I just... I came to see you,” she said lamely. “To... to apologise for before and... Look, clearly, this is a bad time,” she said then, shaking her head. “I can just leave, if you want?”

Wade heaved a sigh and then shook his head. “You know I don’t want that,” he told her, though he didn’t seem any happier now than before. “Look, I admit, I ain’t havin’ the greatest day, but you can come in a while, if you want. Seems like maybe you got somethin’ worth sayin’ and I’m not exactly dressed for standin’ on the doorstep.”

“Okay.” Zoe nodded, turning back a moment to gesture to Harley that she was going inside and he was free to leave.

She saw him raise his hand in a kind of a wave, then start the car and pull away. Zoe watched him disappear out of sight and then followed Wade into the house. He immediately told her he was going to grab a shirt and that Zoe should make herself comfortable before leaving her alone.

Zoe looked from the armchair, piled high with magazines, papers, and the like, to the couch that had a couple of cushions and a screwed-up blanket on it, all of which appeared to have been spilled on in some way. Eventually, her eyes landed on the table by the far wall, with an empty, clean-looking chair on either side. Moving over to that part of the room, she perched herself on a chair and waited with her hands in her lap.

Wade returned within a minute, buttoning a flannel shirt over a white T-shirt he had also pulled on. Zoe reminded herself not to stare, even though inside her head she was picturing him as he had been before at the door. God, like she really needed to complicate matters by realising Wade was as built under his clothes as she imagined he would be.

“Sorry ‘bout the mess,” he apologised, rubbing the back of his neck as he surveyed the room the same way Zoe had moments before. “Wasn’t exactly expectin’ company.”

“It’s fine,” Zoe assured him. “I’m sorry if I’m intruding.”

“Hey, you’re not,” Wade waved away her concern. “It’s just... well, just so you know, old Earl is back there,” he said, gesturing to what Zoe had to assume was another bedroom. “He’s... well, he’s sleepin’ it off, you know?”

“Right,” she said, nodding in understanding. “I didn’t come here to yell or anything, if that helps,” she assured him with a smile.

Wade didn’t seem to have any real answer to that. He just pulled the other chair out from beside the table and sat down across from Zoe. Silence reigned for about a minute before he finally spoke up again.

“You said you come here to talk, right?”

“Actually, I said I came here to apologise,” she corrected him, eyes dropping to her hands in her lap. “I am sorry, Wade. The way I talked to you that day at the Rammer Jammer, I don’t even know what I was thinking... except that actually I do, and that’s kind of the problem,” she admitted, laughing at herself, even though none of this was really very funny. “Then George went and told me that this time of year... well, your mom,” she said, feeling so horribly awkward already, the feeling only increasing as she glanced up and saw how Wade was wincing himself.

“So nice of you to come callin’ with a barrel full of pity, Zo,” he said bitterly.

“Hey, that is not...” she began, realising very quickly that she was getting loud and moderating her tone off the back of Wade’s glare and gesture towards Earl’s room. “Wade,” she started over more quietly, “I did _not_ come here out of pity,” she assured him. “I mean, sure, I do feel bad for you. As screwed up as my family is, at least I never... I never lost anybody like that.”

“Yeah, well,” he said, sniffing some. “I hope to God that ain’t really what you come here to talk about, ‘cause it ain’t my favourite subject, ‘specially right now. Had about as much as I can take when it comes to talk about my momma’s passin’ this week. Old Earl is like a record with the needle stuck, which I get, but...”

When Wade stopped talking, shook his head, and turned away, Zoe felt like she might just cry herself. He was in so much pain, because of his mom, because of his dad, and she so wished she could make it better. When she told him she hadn’t come over out of pity, she meant every word, but she also meant what she said about feeling bad for him. Who wouldn’t after everything he’d been through?

“You know, sometimes, I just feel like the most selfish person on the planet,” she said then, almost amused by the way Wade looked at her then. “I mean, look at everything you’ve done for me in the past few weeks, and what do I do? I get stupid and snarky and... and jealous, just because you were flirting with some girl at the Rammer Jammer,” she admitted, eyes back in her lap in a second. “It is so selfish and stupid to think that I am the only girl in your life, and it’s not like I even should be.”

“Zoe, come on,” said Wade then, claiming her attention again. “You are in my life. You’re a pretty big part of it lately, in case you hadn’t noticed,” he reminded her, that familiar church social smile beginning to curve his lips.

“But I’m not supposed to be,” she reminded him, not feeling quite so happy herself in this moment. “Not that I don’t want to be, it’s just...”

“It’s just?” he prompted when she fell silent.

Honestly, when Zoe came here, it really had been to apologise and try to fix this friendship they had bult in the past couple of months, nothing more, nothing less. Now she was here, now he was looking at her like that, and Zoe was losing her grip on all her good sense. She recalled everything Harley had said to her about Wade, everything he had told her himself, about his reputation with girls, about his apparent inability to stick to one woman for more than a weekend at best. 

On top of that, Zoe couldn’t help but remember that she was pregnant, that in a little over five months, she would be a mother, and now was so not the time to be doing this, but she couldn’t help it. In spite of everything, she had to say what was really on her mind, what had been on her mind for weeks now.

“I know this makes no sense, and I’m not asking you for anything or expecting anything, because like I said, I know I am being so selfish and stupid, but the truth is... the truth is, I like you, Wade Kinsella. I really like you,” she confessed at last, tears welling in her eyes as she went on. “And that’s crazy because, even if you did like me too, which you probably don’t, we’ve barely known each other a couple of months, and all I do is screw up with you, and I’m having another man’s baby, and-”

She didn’t get a chance to say any more, and quite honestly, Zoe wasn’t sure what the rest of the words would have been if she had. Suddenly, Wade was that much closer than before, pulling her to her feet, his hand behind her head and his lips covering her own. Maybe it was crazy and stupid and so not the right moment for this to happen, but as he kissed her, Zoe had no choice but to kiss him back.

A part of her had been waiting for this to happen from almost the first day they met, certainly from the first day she arrived in Bluebell. It was amazing to find that reality could in fact live up to imagination and dreams sometimes. She would almost go so far as to say this even surpassed those things.

“Okay, wow,” she gasped as they finally parted, though their arms remained wrapped around each other.

“You okay there, Zoe?” Wade checked, smirking a little.

“No, or yes,” she said, sure she looked as flustered as she felt. “I don’t actually know what I am right now,” she admitted then, giggling and blushing like a twelve-year-old that just had her first kiss. “This wasn’t the plan.”

“Zoe, I don’t think one single thing in my life has been part of the plan since the day ol’ Harley first told me you were out there in the world someplace,” Wade admitted as he gazed down at her, his hand gently moving her hair back from her face and cradling her cheek. “I don’t know what it was about that tale he spun about you, I just knew I had to meet you some day, that you had to come here. Told myself it was for Harley’s sake, and maybe it was, but then, I kinda think maybe I always knew I was doin’ it for myself too. Crazy as it sounds, Zo, and believe me, I know it does, I just had this feelin’ about you, before I ever even met you.”

“That doesn’t sound so crazy.” Zoe shook her head. “Us, doing what we just did, _that_ is probably crazy,” she said then. “Wade, we can’t just-”

Before she could get any further with whatever she might have said, he kissed her again, and though she probably should’ve objected this time, Zoe didn’t have it in her.

“You are way too good at that,” she said when he finally let her breathe again. “But seriously, Wade,” she told him then, her hands against his chest to hold him back in case he thought about trying that tactic a third time, “we have to talk about some things. We can’t just be some teenage fantasy make-out couple. That won’t work. You remember the part where I’m more than one person, right?” she said, glancing down in a significant way.

Wade sighed. “Like I could forget,” he said, rolling his eyes for good measure and seemingly deliberately loosening his hold on her a little now he had been reminded about her condition. “I’m not sayin’ I have all the answers, Zoe, but come on, you know there’s somethin’ here. There’s somethin’ between us.”

“I know that,” she agreed all too easily. “And in any other circumstances, I would love to just let this happen. Believe me, I’d like to let a _lot_ of things happen,” she said, glancing away before she let herself go too far down that particular train of thought, “but these are the circumstances. I’m pregnant. In the next five and a half months, I’m going to get fat and crabby and a lot of other unattractive things, and then, I’m going to have a baby, an actual person to take care of, and all of that scares me to death, but I think I can handle it.”

“So, what’s the problem?” asked Wade, even though she was sure he already knew.

“The problem is, I can’t ask you to handle it with me,” Zoe told him sadly. “You have enough to deal with, Wade,” she reminded, her gaze flicking to his father’s bedroom door once again. “We both have enough to deal with,” she added, taking a step back out of his arms. “I am so sorry for what happened before, and actually, crazy as it was, I’m not so sorry about what just happened here,” she said, smiling more than she meant to as she looked up and met Wade’s eyes. “I would love for us to be friends like we were before, but can you really see anything more than that working between us?”

There was a part of Zoe that almost thought he might say yes. She wasn’t really expecting it, she didn’t have the right to, but Zoe hoped, somewhere deep inside, that maybe Wade would want to step up. Of course, it came as no surprise when he didn’t say a word and seemed incapable of even looking at her then.

“Okay, I should go,” she said, moving quickly past him towards the exit.

“Zoe, don’t,” he urged her, giving chase and catching her arm before she could get the door open. “Please, don’t go like this.”

“What else can I do, Wade?” she asked, fighting to keep the tears at bay when she looked at him then.

“Just... stay here a while,” he urged her, hand sliding down her arm until he was holding onto her hand instead. “You just said you at least wanted to be friends, right? So, stay, talk to me, take my mind off all the crap I’ve been through these past few days,” he said with a sigh. “You gotta have had a better Christmas than me, right?”

Zoe swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She should say no. She should just leave, it would probably be easier on both of them, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Wade was right, she had said that she wanted them to be friends, if they couldn’t be anything else, which they both knew they absolutely could not. As if trying to make that point clearer to herself as well as him, Zoe pulled her hand from Wade’s grasp and rifled in her purse instead.

“Here,” she said, finally producing the item she had been looking for and pressing it into his hand.

“Huh,” said Wade, staring at the fuzzy picture with a serious frown. “What is that?”

“That’s my baby, doofus.” Zoe laughed, unable to help it. “I mean, I know it doesn’t look much like a baby yet, but it will. At my next scan, in a few weeks, they’ll tell me if I’m having a boy or a girl. Pretty amazing, huh?”

Wade continued to stare at the picture before finally looking at Zoe again. “Yeah,” he agreed, handing the sonogram back to her, “pretty amazing.”

Maybe it was fat-headed to think that he was talking about her rather than the baby, but the way he was looking at when he said it made Zoe think maybe that was just exactly what he meant. She almost told him not to, almost stuck to her original plan of leaving fast before she did something even more stupid than confessing her feelings and letting no less than three serious kisses happen between them. Then, just as fast as it had started, the moment ended. Wade turned away and started offering her a drink and some food, encouraging her to sit down again, because weren’t pregnant women supposed to sit a lot or something?

Zoe smiled, doing as he asked and retaking her seat, letting him know that a soda would be great, and yes, she could manage a sandwich if he didn’t mind making one. Watching him head off to the kitchen, Zoe sighed again. That was her good friend, Wade Kinsella, who only ever wanted to look out for her and do right by her. Not for the first time, she wished she had met him sooner, that things could be different somehow, but even at Christmas time, not all wishes could come true.


	21. Chapter 21

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you guys finally kissed!” Katie gasped. “Was it amazing? He looks like he would be an amazing kisser.”

Zoe moved the phone away from her ear as her friend got a little loud, then got up to close her bedroom door before she got any further into this conversation. It wasn’t as if she thought Harley would listen in on purpose or anything, but he could easily walk by when she was saying something she would rather he didn’t hear.

So far, he knew nothing about what had happened with her and Wade a couple of days ago, other than they had both ended up apologising for their behaviour and they were friends again. Somehow, she really was not comfortable telling him about the kissing parts.

“Zoe?”

“I’m here,” she told Katie, realising she must have been silent too long.

“So, is Wade an amazing kisser?” her friend asked again.

Zoe could hardly keep the grin off her face when she answered. “Oh, you have no idea. I swear, it was so... well, let’s just say, I finally have an idea what all those songs are talking about, you know?”

“Wow.” Katie breathed. “But it was just kissing, right? I mean, you guys didn’t-”

“No!” Zoe told her fast, unsure why she felt so scandalised.

After all, it wasn’t as if the thought hadn’t crossed her mind, as if she hadn’t had a couple of pretty explicit dreams that she was never, _ever_ going to tell Wade about ever. She supposed if she couldn’t be honest with Katie, then she couldn’t be with anybody else.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t mean to sound like such a terrified virgin or whatever. The truth is, in any other circumstances, I’m pretty sure more could’ve absolutely happened, but hello, pregnant, remember?”

“Come on, Zoe,” said Katie, with an eyeroll her friend could practically hear. “I know you’re the one who wanted to go into medicine, but I passed bio and health in high school too. I know you can totally have sex when you’re pregnant. It doesn’t do any harm.”

“I know that too,” Zoe agreed, “but it’s not just about whether we physically could. I can’t just be with Wade, in any kind of romantic way, and you know that. I have to start being responsible, if not for myself then for this baby. You think it’s a smart choice to start a relationship right now? With a guy who, just last week, was practically checking girls off a bingo card, he slept with so many?”

“He really is kind of a player, huh?”

“Kind of.” Zoe sighed. “And I would love to think that he cares about me enough to give up all the other girls, but the fact is, Katie, I could never ask him, I just couldn’t. I can’t make a commitment to Wade and I can’t ask him to make a commitment to me either, not right now.”

Zoe was well aware that when she said ‘not right now’ that made it sound like she thought things might change in the future. She didn’t, not really, or maybe it was more that she hoped it were possible. In the meantime, she was just going to have to be glad that she had a good strong friendship with Wade and try to spend much less time daydreaming about his amazing abs and the fact that she had never enjoyed kissing anyone that much before.

“I get it,” Katie admitted with a sigh. “Timing’s a bitch though, right? I mean, if you had just met Wade a little sooner...”

“Yeah, believe me, I thought of that too,” said Zoe, lying back on her bed with a bump. “Ugh, when I think about how I was with Logan, how I trusted him and really thought he cared about me.”

“And then he got you pregnant and dumped you,” said Katie crossly. “Asshole!”

“You got that right.”

“But Wade would never do that to you. I really wish you met him first.”

Zoe didn’t even know how to answer that. She agreed with it, so wholeheartedly that it actually hurt, but it didn’t change anything. Besides, as much as she liked Wade - and she really, really did - she was well aware that she could have found herself in the exact same situation with him as she had with Logan.

There were no guarantees he would react well to being told he got a girl pregnant either. As he told her once, he would like to think he’d be a stand-up guy about it, but you never really knew how you would behave in those circumstances until you found yourself in them.

“Seriously though,” Katie said then, “I’m not sure I could’ve stuck to just kissing with Wade, not if it felt as good as you say.”

“He is every kind of tempting.” Zoe laughed, unable to help herself, glad for a moment at least to feel like the carefree teenaged girl she ought to be. “But, even if we had both been free to do whatever we wanted, we probably wouldn’t have. Did I mention his dad was passed out in the next room?”

“Passed out?” Katie echoed, making Zoe wince.

“Sleeping. He was sleeping... and not feeling too well,” she amended, biting her lip as she waited for her friend to respond.

“Oh, well, sure, that would’ve been awkward and weird too.”

Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. She really hadn’t thought about what she was saying until it was too late. Not that she supposed it would matter too much if her friend knew that Wade’s father had a drinking problem, but somehow, she didn’t want to say anything to Katie about it. It wasn’t her secret to share, after all. She also didn’t want to have to admit that she had yet to officially meet Earl. He had definitely been having more bad days than good since she arrived in town, at least from what Wade had said, and since Zoe had only ever been over to their house that one day, their paths just hadn’t crossed. She guessed it would happen eventually, but for now, she wasn’t going to worry about it.

“Enough about me,” she told Katie then. “Tell me about holidays at home with the folks. Is it great?”

“It’s... normal,” her friend told her. “You know how it is with my family. It’s fun and everybody gets along and all, but nothing really very interesting happens here.”

“Ha!” Zoe let out one too-loud burst of laughter. “Trust me, Katie, I could use a little uninteresting in my life right now. You are so much better off being bored!”

“Easy for you to say!” Katie retorted. “I mean, I admit, I’m not hoping to find out my parents aren’t my parents, and I sure as heck wouldn’t wanna be pregnant right now, but I could live with a sexy stranger showing up at my door and wanting to take me away somewhere different for a while.”

“You make my life sound way more romantic and adventurous than it actually is.” Zoe laughed. “You really are going to make a great writer, Katie.”

“That’s the plan,” her friend told her, “and it’s lucky I have a good imagination and interesting friends, because I would never have anything to inspire me to write at all if I had to rely on my own life. You know what we’re doing for New Year’s here? Going to bed early. Would you believe this crackpot town actually banned public parties that go on past ten? It’s New Year’s! God, I hate small towns.”

“Maybe you just live in the wrong small town,” Zoe considered. “They’re having a huge celebration here in Bluebell. The way Wade tells it, it’s practically as big as the 4th of July. Live music, carnival-style attractions, all kinds of food and drink, fireworks, everything, and we actually get to stay up until 2002 officially arrives.”

“Great.” Katie sighed. “Just one more reason to be jealous of you!”

* * *

“Well, hey there, Zoe.”

Zoe turned from the limited selection of make-up The Dixie Stop had to offer to see a smiling face she ought to recognise near her shoulder. She knew for sure this was one of the Belles and she also remembered that she was a little nicer than some of the others, like Lemon, for example, but for the life of her, Zoe could not recall her name.

“Oh, hey... you,” she said awkwardly.

“Annabeth Thibodaux,” said the other girl helpfully, smiling yet. “We met at Thanksgiving break.”

“Yes, we did.” Zoe nodded. “I’m so sorry, I am just terrible with names and I have met so many people around here, and-”

“Hey, don’t you worry on that,” Annabeth told her kindly. “You got enough on your mind already, I shouldn’t wonder,” she said, eyes dipping down to Zoe’s stomach, though the way she was dressed, Zoe doubted anyone could actually tell she was pregnant if they didn’t already know.

“Yeah, that’s... I’m actually surprised you’re talking to me,” she said, shaking her head. “No offence, but most of your friends seem like they would rather talk _about_ me behind their hands than actually talk _to_ me.”

“Oh, you mean Lemon and some of the other Belles?” Annabeth nodded. “Yeah, they’re not bad girls, but they can be a little... I guess judgemental would be the right word. Lord knows, they are none of them perfect themselves, so why they feel the need to judge others,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I, for one, think it is just amazing that you are going through with this pregnancy, and moving to a whole new place, having your life turned upside-down by finding out your father was this whole other person you ever met? Well, you might just be the bravest person I ever met in my life, Zoe Hart.”

Zoe wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that and just stood there a moment blinking at Annabeth until she finally thought of something.

“Thanks, I guess. Um, I don’t know how brave I am, really, but I appreciate that you think so.”

“Oh, I really do,” Annabeth insisted. “And, you know, if you need anything, a friend to talk to or just anything, you can come to me. I am more than happy to lend a hand, or an ear, whatever you need.”

There was a part of Zoe that was looking for an angle here, sure that if Annabeth was suddenly being this nice, there had to be a reason beyond her just trying to be kind. Maybe she was spying for the Belles. Maybe she was hoping to get a story in the paper about her. Maybe she was some kind of crazy axe murderer.

“You’re looking at me a little funny,” said Annabeth then. “Did I say something to offend you? I am so sorry-”

“No, you didn’t. _I’m_ sorry,” Zoe insisted. “I just... it’s a little strange, someone being so friendly. Not that most people here aren’t pleasant enough, it’s just with me being Harley’s illegitimate child, and then, having one of my own too, I don’t think that sits too well with some of the townsfolk.”

“Well, I believe in what the Good Book tells us. ‘Judge not lest ye be judged’,” she quoted with a bright smile. “Also, ‘love thy neighbour’ is pretty important too.”

Maybe she was the crazy one, Zoe considered, but she really did believe that Annabeth wanted to be nice to her, maybe even genuinely wanted to be her friend. She could use one of those right now, because as great as Katie was, she was a long way away and unlikely to be any closer for a good long while. Wade was a great friend too, but that was a complicated situation, to say the least. A girl-friend in town seemed like a great idea to Zoe, so if Annabeth was offering, she had to think it would be sensible to take her up on it.

“So, Annabeth, are you going to the New Year’s event in town square later?”

“Like I would miss that!” she said, grinning all over her face. “It’s always such a good time. You’re coming along, right?”

“Absolutely,” Zoe agreed. “Maybe we can meet up there, talk some more, if you want?”

“I think that is an excellent idea,” Annabeth agreed. “You know, I don’t want you to think this is the only reason I’m being friendly at all, because it’s really not, but I would love to hear some about your life in New York. I’ve barely been outside of Alabama, much less so far north or to anything like a real big city. I mean, yes, I do go to school in Auburn, which is a pretty big place, but I hardly ever leave campus at all...”

She rambled on, so earnest and sweet, Zoe couldn’t help but like her, and if Annabeth wanted to know more about New York or Yale or anything else, she would probably end up telling her. Maybe her new friend would repay the favour in time, tell Zoe a little more about the traditions of the south and Bluebell in particular, maybe even give her a little advice about how to handle her muddled situation with Wade. After all, they had to know each other pretty well. Didn’t everybody in these small towns?

“Well, I guess I shoulda known I’d find ladies like yourselves hangin’ out by the make-up display,” said a voice then, “not that either one of you needs too much help in that department.”

Zoe turned to look already knowing very well who she was going to see. Wade was grinning at her like it was going out of style, even as Annabeth smacked him across the bicep.

“Wade Kinsella, don’t you even come in here with your flattery, ‘cause it’ll get you nowhere fast, not with real ladies,” she said pointedly, though she was smiling just the same.

Zoe was starting to think it was the only expression her pretty face knew.

“Hey, any compliment I pay is one hundred percent genuine, AB, you know that,” Wade told Annabeth easily. “Now, I saw Zoe in here and figured I would ask her if she wanted a ride up to the Rammer Jammer, where I would be happy to buy her some lunch, but I guess since you’re here too, no reason not to make it a party of three. We’re all friends here, right?”

“Right,” Zoe agreed fast, noting there was a particular look in his eyes that went with that remark.

Yes, they were friends, and that was all they could be, but the undercurrent remained between Zoe and Wade, and she had a feeling it was going nowhere fast. Whether his inviting Annabeth along to lunch with them was a serious attempt to provide a chaperone or just a joke somehow, AB did agree to accompany them and Zoe felt a rush of relief when she did. She chose to ignore the niggling feeling of disappointment that went with it. It was so much better this way and she knew it... didn’t she?


	22. Chapter 22

“Now, if you feel like you wanna go home early, honey, you know we can,” said Harley kindly as he and Zoe arrived in town square for Bluebell’s Annual New Year’s Extravaganza. “I know you wanna see in the new year and all, but if it gets too much...”

“I promise, I will tell you.” Zoe smiled, far from annoyed with him for caring so much.

It was actually really sweet and not at all what she was used to. Some people might think it was tiring to have their dad bugging them all the time like that, but she kind of loved it so far. She wondered if she would ever get tired of it, but Zoe doubted it somehow.

She and Harley parted ways before too long, him getting into conversation with some of the older folks, while Zoe spotted Annabeth by one of the refreshments stands and went right on over to meet her. They were chatting away, the both of them with a glass of punch in their hands, when the last person Zoe wanted to see came striding over.

“Well, fancy seeing the two of you so cosy like this,” said Lemon, her nose in the air as usual. “I’m sure I had no idea you had gotten so close.”

“Lemon.” AB rolled her eyes. “Now you know I told you I had got talking to Zoe in the store just today.”

“Yes, indeed, you did, sweetie,” Lemon agreed, “but one conversation does not a sisterhood make.”

“If it helps you, Lemon, I’m not trying to steal your friend away.” Zoe rolled her eyes as she said it. “Annabeth was just being nice is all, but I’m sure you have a lot you want to talk about. I know you’ve been tied up taking care of your sister and helping out your dad and everything. You want some time to yourself and you deserve it, so I’ll go.”

She turned to leave then, momentarily stunned when she heard Lemon tell her to stop. Zoe turned around slowly, wide eyes pointed at the prim blonde girl who had never so much as given her the time of day up to now. She wasn’t absolutely sure what it was about her that offended Lemon so much, though Harley had suggested she was just jealous. Suddenly someone was getting more attention that she was, there was a second candidate for town princess, for lack of a better term, and Lemon was never going to appreciate that. It’s why Zoe made a point of complimenting her so-called rival on being so dedicated to her family. After all, she could use one less person to fight with these days.

“You know, I’m guessing you have troubles enough of your own you might want to talk about to a girl-friend,” said Lemon with a look. “Lord knows, as much as I love Harley and even Wade Kinsella, men are only so much use to a young woman in these things.”

Zoe smiled at that. “So true,” she agreed easily.

“Good. That’s just so great that you two wanna get along,” said AB, looking as if she would happily be clapping her hands together like an overzealous trained seal if she wasn’t holding a glass in her hand. “Now, why don’t we all get ourselves a snack and enjoy the festivities together?”

“Sounds fine to me.” Lemon nodded. “You think you can handle that much fun, Zoe Hart?” she asked, sarcastic as anyone had ever been, but at least it wasn’t as Zoe’s own expense this time.

“You know, I actually think I can,” she agreed, as the three set off together across the town square.

From a ways away, Wade watched them go, all girly talk and laughter, and was glad to see it. Zoe needed more friends in town, in his opinion, he knew that even if it did sting a little to realise that those girly friends she was making would be more suited to her than he ever was.

When Zoe wanted someone to talk to, she was probably going to choose AB and Lemon in future, especially as she got further along in her pregnancy and everything. Females all clubbed together in those kinds of situations, he supposed, and it did make sense. Wade only wished he didn’t have this awful urge to run on over to where those girls were and split them up, take Zoe away somewhere and keep her all for himself. That would be a real dumbass thing to do, after all.

“Well, there you are, Wade Kinsella.”

He winced when he heard her talk, but by the time he turned around to face Tansy there was a smile on his lips. After all, she was a nice girl and he did like her a lot. Not as much as he liked Zoe, or at least, not in the same way, but still. It was true enough that Tansy liked him a whole lot, if the way she let him kiss her goodnight on their date a while back was anything to go by. He felt just a little bad now, when she asked why he didn’t call her again after that.

“I’m sorry, Tans,” he told her, shaking his head. “I got kinda busy, you know how it is,” he explained, hands shoved in his pockets, “but I’m free as a bird right about now, if you wanted some company a while?”

“Okay,” she said, nodding happily. “I guess I will let you be my escort to this event, since you asked so nice and all.”

A second later she had her arm looped through Wade’s own, dragging him in the direction of the booths where games and such were set up. Seemed she was hoping someone might win her a bear or whatever. Wade figured he could do that. Wasn’t as if he was needed anyplace else by some other girl or something.

* * *

“You okay there, Dr Wilkes?”

When he heard his name, Harley literally had to shake himself out of a daze. He looked at the young man next to him then and wasn’t all that surprised to see worried eyes staring back at him. He had clearly gotten much more distracted than he realised.

“Well, if it isn’t young George Tucker,” he said, putting on a smile. “How are you doin’, son?”

“I am just fine, sir,” George told him. “I was actually a little concerned about you for a minute there. You looked kinda... lost.”

“If I’m lost here in the middle of the town I was born and raised in, then I got me a real serious problem.” Harley chuckled, moving over so that George could reach the drinks that he had probably been trying to get to all along. “Truth is I... well, I guess I was spying on my daughter. Don’t judge me too harshly for that, will you, George?”

“No, sir,” he assured him, offering him a soda while he was getting one and Harley happily took one. “I can’t imagine what it has been like for you, suddenly having Zoe in your life and all. I mean, she’s a real nice girl, I didn’t mean to imply... well, I know some folks were a little surprised.”

“ _Everybody_ was surprised,” Harley corrected, “and I don’t blame them either, but I will admit to havin’ no regrets when it comes to my actions with Candice Hart, because without that particular indiscretion, there would be no Zoe, and that’d be a damn shame.”

“I respectfully agree.” George nodded. “Not that I... I mean, I am obviously spoken for, but Zoe is somethin’ else. You know, I never thought I’d see a day when Wade might even think of stickin’ to one person, but he seems to like Zoe an awful lot.”

“Yes, he does, doesn’t he?” Harley sighed.

He didn’t mean to be obvious, or perhaps he did. After all, it would be good to talk to someone about his worries, and George was very grown up for his age, practically a little adult since he was ten or so. Plus, he knew Wade best of anyone, the two of them being much like brothers to each other, despite each having an older brother of their own besides.

“You know, when they first got acquainted, Wade and my Zoe,” he began to explain, keeping his voice low so nobody else overheard, “I didn’t think too much of it. He seemed to like her and she prob’ly liked him back, but she also seemed well aware of the way he was with girls.”

“Wade doesn’t hide who he is or what he’s like, that’s for sure,” said George easily. “And Zoe has her head screwed on right, from what I can tell.”

“’Cept maybe she doesn’t always,” said Harley with a look. “She did go ahead and get herself pregnant in college, by a young man who barely earns the right to be called as such. When that news came out, I just thought... well, I’m not entirely sure what that’d mean. I’m afraid to say I did warn Zoe off of getting too attached to Wade, in the circumstances, which I think caused more damage than it should’ve,” he admitted, sighing one more time and running a hand over his face. “Now, they seem to be friends again, but Zoe has made some new friends too,” he said happily, pointing to where his daughter was laughing with Lemon Breeland and Annabeth Thibodaux by the pretzel stand.

“And Wade has gone right back to what he does best.” George sighed too as he pointed in the other direction, where his buddy was bodily assisting Tansy with her throw at the bottle toss. “Maybe that is for the best, in the circumstances,” he said, seeming to deliberately use Harley’s own words in what he said.

“Maybe so,” the doctor agreed, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder.

* * *

Zoe sat down heavily on the end of the bench and heaved out a sigh. It was pretty dark by now, which was to be expected as the hour grew later. Though there were plenty of lights around giving the whole town a festive feel, the sky was inky black and filled with stars. There was also a distinct chill in the air that Zoe couldn’t seem to get away from, no matter how tight she pulled her sweater around her shoulders or hugged herself for warmth.

“Thank God it’s almost midnight,” she muttered to herself.

The whole event had started early enough, before six in fact, and she had been having such a good time, first with Lemon and Annabeth, then with George after he joined them. She spent some time with Harley and then was kidnapped by some of the younger teens to hang out with them for a while - Tom Long seemed especially stuck on her, which was cute, in an amusing way. Some of the older ladies even came fussing over her at one point, giving all kinds of advice for when her baby eventually came along.

“Next New Year’s, it won’t just be me,” Zoe said to herself, one arm laid gently over the bump.

“It’ll never just be you, Zo.”

She startled a little on hearing someone else speak, but smiled right after as she tipped her head back and saw Wade stood right behind her.

“I guess that’s true,” she agreed, nodding her head as she gestured for him to come sit down if he wanted to. “I mean, a child is for life, not just for Christmas... or whenever.”

“I didn’t only mean...” Wade began, stopping short of finishing that sentence when their eyes met.

Zoe knew what he was going to say. She also knew she didn’t really want to hear it. Actually, that wasn’t wholly true. A part of her would love for Wade to make promises to her that way. It would be nice to think she could have a boyfriend, a partner in life, plus then her baby could have a father figure, because his or her biological father certainly wasn’t going to bother to be any use. Zoe would love for Wade to be that guy, more than anything, no matter how crazy it was. After all, they had only known each other three months. It seemed like a lifetime, but it never could be.

“One thing is for sure, I don’t think I could’ve found a better place to bring up a kid,” Zoe admitted then, looking around at all the people gathered in town square. “I mean, sure, some people are a little judgey about the whole thing - partly me being an illegitimate love child, partly me having one myself - but on the whole, they’re just genuinely nice people who want to help.”

“That’s Bluebell for you,” Wade agreed. “Every person got their nose in every other person’s business, but I’m willing to admit, they’re always around when you need ‘em.”

Looking across at him again, Zoe recalled the tales Wade had told her about the townsfolk being there for him personally, when his mother died, whenever he had problems with his father. Now those same people were coming to her aid, willing to pitch in and help wherever they could, just for kindness’ sake. It was strange, but when Zoe came here, she never really planned to stay more than a week or two. Right now, she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else.

“It okay if I say I’m glad to hear that?”

Only when Wade asked the question did Zoe realise her thoughts had been spoken aloud. She hadn’t exactly intended for them to be.

“It’s okay,” she told him as their gazes met one more time. “I meant what I said before, Wade, I really do want us to be friends, always.”

“Yeah,” he agreed with a smile that wasn’t quite as bright as some she had seen on his face. “Me too.”

In the next moment, the countdown started up, the whole square chanting from ten all the way down to one. Midnight struck then, to many a cheer, followed by the scream of fireworks streaking across the night sky.

“Happy New Year, Zoe.”

“Happy New Year, Wade,” she replied, scooting closer and pressing her lips to his in a quick kiss.

The look on his face, illuminated in red, then blue, then green as the fireworks continued, proved he would love to kiss her back and in no kind of chaste way either. Zoe also knew he wouldn’t do it, because she had made it clear that it wasn’t a smart move. They would stay friends, just like they said, because it was for the best.

“You’re shiverin’,” he said then, bringing her out of a daze. “C’mere.”

Wade urged Zoe closer, his arm going around her shoulders and holding her close as they both stared up at the night sky and all the pretty colours of the firework display. Better to concentrate on that than anything else, Zoe thought, like the wonderful feeling of being so close to her good friend Wade that was probably making her shake even more than the cold ever had. Thinking too much about that would do her no favours at all.


	23. Chapter 23

“Well, now, what’s the plan for you today, Zoe?” Harley asked her across the breakfast table, smiling widely.

“I’m not sure actually,” she admitted, looking thoughtfully into her cereal bowl. “I’m pretty sure Wade is going to be busy all day and everybody else has headed back to college already,” she said with a sigh. “You know, I think I miss AB most? She is so sweet and so funny too. She’s excited by just about anything I tell her about New York or Yale, but she’s also so nice about everything. She never judges.”

“Annabeth Thibodaux is a very sweet girl,” Harley agreed easily. “Don’t think I ever knew her to have a cross word with anyone in all the years I’ve known her, and that’s been since she was just a little thing, you know?”

“You seem to have delivered just about every one of my new friends into the world.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that weird?”

“Not so much for me,” her father assured her, shaking his head. “All part of being a GP in a small town. I am there for the births, the deaths, and just about everything in between,” he reminded her, as he got up and began clearing away some of the breakfast things.

“Harley?” Zoe called behind him, a little unsure of herself when he turned back to look at her. “I... Were you there when Wade’s mother...?”

Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slow, Harley slowly shook his head then.

“Not at the very end,” he admitted. “I was her doctor though, did as much as I could for her when she was sick and all. Poor Jacqueline, she was one of the finest young women I ever met. Such a shame she had to be taken from us all so soon.”

“I wish I got to meet her,” said Zoe thoughtfully. “The way Wade talks about her... I mean, I know he’s biased with her being his mother and everything, and people do have a tendency to only remember the good things about people when they’re gone, but still, I think we would’ve gotten along.”

“I know you would have, sweetheart,” Harley agreed with a smile. “She was stronger than she looked, just like you are, and a fine wife and mother for as long as she was here on this earth. You could look to worse people for a role model, that’s for sure.”

Zoe wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse as she watched Harley disappear into the kitchen with the dirty dishes and such. She had thought about Wade’s family a lot lately, especially his mother. It was easier than thinking about Candice, that was for sure, but in the end, Zoe realised that, even though her own mother had done wrong, she was still her mom and each person only got one. If something awful were to happen and they hadn’t made amends, Zoe couldn’t stand the thought of it. Wade spoke of his mother with such love and affection, but also with a terrible sadness too. Zoe couldn’t bear the thought that she might lose her own mom, not when they were so at odds.

It was why she had called her a couple of days after New Year’s and, though things were far from completely resolved between them, Zoe was sure to tell her mom that she loved her and always would. Candice had gotten teary, apologised another four or five times, and said she hoped to see her little girl soon. On that point, Zoe wouldn’t be pulled into making any promises. Right now, she just couldn’t imagine going back to New York, not even for a visit. She had made a home in Bluebell, at least for now, and it’s where she intended to stay.

This past week, she spent more time with AB, as well as Lemon. She was introduced to little Magnolia, and George had hung out with them also. Of course, she saw plenty of Wade too, when he wasn’t working or taking care of Earl, but he had been busy a lot, and Zoe had to admit she got a little caught up with her girl-friends, especially since she knew they would be going away again before long.

Now, here she was, ten days into January, and all her college-bound friends were back on campus, many miles away from Bluebell. AB was closest, but even Auburn was a four-hour drive. Besides, Annabeth had explained that she didn’t have a licence yet herself and since there were no trains or busses from one place to the other, she really didn’t come back to Bluebell any more often than anybody else from further away colleges. That meant all Zoe’s friends were absent, except for one. She felt a little bad in thinking that only now did she have more time for Wade, but then she suspected he was as glad to be rid of her for a while as anybody.

It was great to be friends again, but as had become abundantly clear on New Year’s, it wasn’t what either of them really wanted. With her hormones raging off-and-on, thanks to pregnancy, there were times when Zoe could barely keep herself in check around Wade. She was also pretty sure that if she allowed herself to get crazy, he might just let her.

Sweet as he could be, Wade was not averse to leaping in to bed with anyone who offered him the chance, at least, that was his reputation, as confirmed by Wade himself. Zoe hadn’t actually seen any evidence of anything like that, just a little flirting in the Rammer Jammer with girls like Tansy Truitt and others. It certainly wasn’t something she felt comfortable talking to Wade about. They never discussed what he did or didn’t do with other girls, and Zoe didn’t plan on having them start now, or ever, truth be told.

“Zoe?”

She looked up fast on hearing her name, wondering why Harley was frowning at her.

“Four times I called before you came to,” he said, shaking his head. “You feelin’ okay, honey?”

“I am.” Zoe nodded definitely. “Sorry, just thinking too much.”

“That’s to be expected, I suppose,” her father sympathised. “Gettin’ that next scan booked in with the hospital was a big deal.”

“It was,” she agreed, then immediately felt bad for the fact that wasn’t at all what had been on her mind.

Zoe’s arm went around her swelling stomach as she gave it some thought now. Her twenty-week scan was indeed booked just yesterday. Three weeks from now and she would be back in the hospital in Mobile, not just seeing her baby again via the ultrasound as she had in December, but finding out the sex of her child if she wanted to.

“It’s weird, I thought everybody had a preference,” she said then, levering herself up from the chair, still staring at her bump that was really coming into its own at this point. “But every time I think about it, you know, boy or girl, I really don’t know which one I’d rather have. Is that weird?” she asked Harley worriedly.

“Not weird at all, honey,” he promised, his hand at her back as he leaned down and kissed her hair. “Some expectant mothers, and fathers, for that matter, they get their heart set on one or the other, but most times, no matter what they get, they’re happy enough just to know they got a healthy child to hold on to. Then there are folks like you, don’t care either way from the get-go. Probably the best way to be since it’s nothing we have any control over anyhow.”

“True.” Zoe nodded as she thought about it some more.

Sometimes, she thought it’d be nice to have a boy, other times a girl. It did occur to her that a son might look more like his daddy, but then that could be just as true of a daughter, she supposed, so it hardly made a difference. If Zoe was truly honest with herself, what she was really wishing for baby-wise was a kid that looked like her, so she could forget about Logan, as much as possible.

“Well, I need to be gettin’ myself off to work now,” said Harley, picking up his bag from the side table. “You want me to drop you off anyplace on the way, Zoe?”

“Not really,” she said with a sigh, realising that her journey from the breakfast table might as well end at the armchair in the living room, since she had nowhere else to be. “I think it’s going to be a long day, just me, the bump, and a book,” she declared, retrieving _What To Expect When You’re Expecting_ from the coffee table before she sat down.

She was unaware that Harley had stopped halfway to the door and doubled back until he suddenly spoke again, startling her a little.

“Now, maybe this is a foolish idea, but would you like to come on in to work with me, maybe?” he tried. “You can say no if you want to,” he continued, alerting Zoe to the fact she was probably making a face at him, however unintentionally, he just caught her off-guard with the idea is all. “I just thought, well, you said you probably will still go into medicine at some point, and if you had nothing better to do, I figured maybe it’d be good experience. Sit in on a few appointments, see how I handle the patients, the paperwork, the whole process.”

Zoe was astounded. Harley never had made a suggestion like that before and it never really occurred to her to ask about it either. It made sense though, the chance to continue her education, in a way, without the need for classroom learning.

“Won’t the patients mind?” she checked. “And Dr Breeland?”

“You leave Brick to me,” said Harley firmly. “As for the patients, well, most won’t care one way or the other if you’re there, but of course, I’d ask each one, and if any objected, you could just step out of the room for a while. I don’t see it’d be any trouble to anybody much, but like I said, if you don’t want to do it-”

“I do,” said Zoe fast, closing her book with a thud. “I really do, thank you,” she said, smiling widely as she got herself back on her feet. “Thank you, Harley, for the opportunity, I mean. You won’t regret it.”

“Zoe, honey.” Harley chuckled. “When it comes to you, there is not one thing I could ever possibly regret,” he promised her.

* * *

“Well, if it ain’t my three favourite people,” said Wade with a grin as Harley and Zoe walked into the Rammer Jammer, the latter turning around to look for some invisible third person it seemed. “I was countin’ you as two, Zo,” he told her, with a significant glance down at her expanding middle.

“Oh, right,” she said, nodding her understanding then and looking just a little pink in the cheeks.

It made Wade wish he had never made the joke, but since there was no way to take it back, and an apology would just prolong the agony, he moved right past it instead, getting Harley and Zoe a table and asking what they wanted for lunch. They placed their order without even looking at the menu card, which made Wade smile, in Zoe’s case, anyway. She really was becoming quite the Bluebellian these days.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, moving away with their order all noted down.

“Could you hurry with that?” Zoe urged him. “I am starving!”

“I’ll do what I can!” he called back to her, practically running to the kitchen.

Putting the order ahead of all the others in the system, Wade hoped nobody noticed. He figured if they did, he could always say he was prioritising a pregnant patron because it seemed like the right thing to do, or there was always Harley to use for an excuse. After all, he was a doctor and needed his lunch whip-smart so he could get back to healing folks. As it turned out, Wade didn’t need any of these excuses as Zoe and Harley’s order was duly made up without anyone batting an eye.

“Okay, lunch for two, faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking competition,” he said, serving up their meals.

“Thank you,” Zoe said before Harley could even get out the same sentiment and digging into her lunch with gusto.

“She feelin’ okay?” Wade asked Harley with a look.

“A hard morning’s work gave her an appetite,” he said with a smile. “Well, that on top of eating for two has made her a might ravenous.”

“Work, huh?” said Wade, looking to Zoe just as she swallowed a large mouthful.

“Mmhmm, I went to the practice with Harley this morning,” she explained happily. “I got to sit in when he saw patients and Mrs H showed me how the paperwork side of things was done. It was _so_ interesting! Way better than daytime soaps and pregnancy books.”

Wade laughed at that, it was hard not to when she said it that way and made such a face about it. Checking nobody was watching, Wade pulled up a chair and joined Zoe and Harley for a few minutes. She hadn’t been around much the last week or more, which he well understood. After all, she had AB and Lemon to hang out with and they was only around for a limited time before college called them back for their next semester.

Besides, Wade had been kind of busy his ownself, thanks to the Rammer Jammer and also Earl. Thankfully, the old man was doing better this week and actually went to work this morning. Wade was hoping he got from Monday to Friday without incident, but that was probably pushing it.

“So, keeping up on your doctorin’ skills, huh?” he asked Zoe then.

“Uh-huh,” she said, the only thing she could manage around too many fries shoved into her mouth. “I had no idea how many different conditions there were that I’ve never even heard of. Did you know that a tick bite can lead to paralysis?”

“I did know that.” Wade nodded, trying not to laugh at her enthusiasm, both for the food and medical issues. “Tick bites are a pretty common occurrence down this way.”

“Not common in New York.” Zoe shook her head definitely, reaching for soda and taking a long drink then. “I’ve learned so much already and it’s only the first day.”

“First day?” Wade echoed. “So, this is gonna be a regular deal?”

“If Zoe wants to keep on coming around to the practice, I am more than happy to have her there,” Harley said easily, eating his own lunch at a more reasonable pace. “Of course, I wouldn’t recommend it become an everyday thing. I want you to have some fun too, Zoe, sweetheart,” he told her kindly. “Lord knows, you’re gonna have enough to take up your time a few months from now.”

Wade glanced from Harley to Zoe, sure she swallowed that last mouthful of food with much more effort than any of the others. The smile on her face certainly wavered plenty and he didn’t wonder at it. Sometimes, he forgot about Zoe being pregnant, when she was sitting at a table like this and just talking to him about normal, ordinary stuff. Other times, it was there in his head, like it had been when she first walked in, but it didn’t bother him so much. Tended to come as a crashing blow to his head when people talked about it that way, about Zoe actually having a baby to raise, not too long from now.

“Uh, I guess I should get back to work myself, before they go and fire me for resting on the job,” he said, forcing a smile as he got to his feet and turned to go. “Uh, I guess I’ll see you around, Zoe?”

“Sure, yeah,” she agreed, nodding her head, staring down at her food with a much more forlorn expression that a few minutes ago.

Suddenly, Wade knew just exactly how she felt.


	24. Chapter 24

Zoe really hadn’t slept so well last night. Most days, she was tired enough that no matter what was on her mind or how awkward she was feeling with her pregnancy symptoms, she dropped right off and slept her eight hours, no problem at all. Last night was different, because nothing, absolutely nothing, was going to stop her being both nervous and excited about her appointment today.

“You about ready, Zoe?” Harley asked as he descended the stairs. “Oh, I see that you are,” he said with a kind smile as he found her right by the door, shoes on, jacket over her arm, purse in her hand.

“I know it’s crazy,” she said, shaking her head, “but I’ve pretty much been ready for an hour. I just want to go, you know? And I also want to _go_ ,” she said pointedly, “and I can’t do that until this is done, apparently.”

“Ah, okay, yes.” Harley nodded in understanding, since he was of course well-aware of the need for a full bladder in these situations. “Then let’s get to going,” he insisted, opening up the front door and ushering Zoe out.

She went willingly, awkwardly manoeuvring down the porch steps to Harley’s car. They were both in with seatbelts on, ready to set off at last, when suddenly someone came rushing up, slamming their hands on the driver’s side window.

“What in the world...?” Harley began, winding down the window to find a harried looking teen on the other side. “Tom Long, what is the matter with you?”

“Dr Wilkes, you gotta come quick!” the boy insisted. “Mrs Palmer is havin’ her baby. Momma says she’ll never make it to the hospital and with her bein’ a whole month before her time...”

“Lord preserve us!” Harley gasped, moving to put the car into drive, when suddenly his eyes caught on Zoe sat there in the passenger side. “Oh, but I... Tom, did you try Dr Breeland first?” he asked the boy.

“No, sir,” he said, shaking his head hard, still breathing heavily from what had to have been a long run over to the Wilkes home. “He’s havin’ problems of his own, so Momma said, with little Magnolia.”

Zoe never once heard Harley curse, but the muttering he was doing right now sounded like it could be something bad, if she could actually make out any words at all.

“Look, we’ll just reschedule my scan,” said Zoe, moving to unbuckle her seatbelt and get out of the car. “Mrs Palmer’s need is greater,” she insisted. “I can wait.”

“Well, hey, there, Zoe Hart!” called a voice then, making her smile in spite of the situation she found herself in. “I thought I was gonna be too late to wish you luck for your scan and all.”

“Not too late,” she assured him. “Just not necessary. I’m not going.”

“Zoe, you have to go,” Harley insisted, getting out of the driver’s side of the car and looking more than a little troubled. “I just... Wade, I hate to ask, but could you drive Zoe to Mobile today?”

He opened his mouth to answer and Zoe cut in fast. “Harley, we can’t ask Wade to do that. It’s not fair. He has work and... and it’s just not fair to assume he’ll drop everything for me because-”

“Sure, I’ll do it.”

Wade had the oddest expression on his face when Zoe turned to look at him then. She wondered what her own face looked like, actually, though she suspected her expression was mostly shocked. It wasn’t that she didn’t expect Wade to offer to do her a favour, he would always do that, but driving her to her baby scan? That was a little above and beyond, not to mention every kind of awkward given the circumstances.

Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a second option. Harley was already yelling instructions as he got back into his car, encouraging Tom to leap in the back, and setting off as fast as he dare for the Palmer residence. Zoe was left standing in the dusty driveway a few feet from Wade, the both of them staring after the taillights of her father’s car.

“Well,” said Wade after a few seconds of awkward silence, “I guess we better get goin’,” he considered, rubbing the back of his neck. “They frown on folks bein’ late for this stuff, right?”

“Probably,” Zoe agreed absently, watching Harley’s car until it completely disappeared from view, then moving her gaze to Wade. “You know, you really don’t have to do this,” she assured him.

“Hey, what kinda friend would I be if I left ya out to dry like that?” he asked her, shrugging his shoulders. “You just wait right here and I’ll bring the car to you, okay?”

“Okay.” Zoe nodded, not sure she was willing or able to do anything else, as she watched Wade hurry away to fetch his car and began muttering to herself. “As if today wasn’t going to be hard enough already.”

* * *

Of all the places in the world Wade had imagined spending today, a hospital was not one of them. It was a blessing that Earl wasn’t the one he was waiting on in this place, and another one that the old man was still fit for work after more than two whole weeks of attendance. Wade knew well enough that it wasn’t going to last, that Earl would fall off the wagon soon enough, most like the first of the month, like usual. That meant he had all of three days left before the unhappy occasion of Dad getting lost in the bottom of a bottle again.

In the meantime, Wade had someone else to worry on. Poor Zoe was getting paler by the second, sat by him in the waiting area, one foot tapping out a faster and faster rhythm against the tile.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out to cover her hand with his own. “You freak out, then I’m gonna freak out too, and it ain’t a pretty scene we’re gonna have here,” he warned her with a crooked smile.

“I can’t help it.” Zoe sighed heavily. “I was nervous enough before and now Harley’s not here and... and I just...”

“Come on, now, Zoe, it’s gonna be okay,” he promised her gently, holding on to her hand yet. “You’re gonna be a doctor yourself someday, you know how qualified these folks have to be. They’re gonna take care of you just fine, nothin’ to worry on.”

“That’s not what worries me,” she told him, shaking her head. “I’m worried about the baby. I’m worried that there’ll be something wrong with him... or her... and I’m worried that when they tell me whether he or she is a he or a she that I’ll be disappointed. Also, I really, really need to pee.”

Wade tried not to make a face at that last remark and it came a little easier this time than it had before. Zoe had made mention of her need for the bathroom more than once, both in the car on the way over and while they’d been sat inside the hospital waiting. She also explained why she was absolutely not allowed to go until after her scan was over, which meant little could be done to help her until she was called in. At least with the other fears, Wade felt he might offer a little comfort.

“All I know is this,” he said softly, “you are one of the bravest, strongest girls I ever met, Zoe Hart, and no matter what happens when they get to lookin’ at that baby, you can handle it. Whether you got a boy or a girl in there, you’re gonna love that kid to pieces, I’ll bet, and even though I’m pretty sure everything will be fine with him or her anyway, if it’s not, it’ll still be okay, because we’ll make it okay, you hear me?”

Wade wasn’t sure whether to feel bad or not when Zoe’s eyes met his and he watched them fill with tears. He was well aware there was such a thing as crying out of happiness, but he wasn’t entirely sure that was what he was seeing. Maybe he just hadn’t been as reassuring as he thought, though when he replayed the words in his head, they seemed okay to him. Of course, he wasn’t a pregnant female.

Wade realised, just a beat too late what exactly he had said then. He said ‘we’ when he should have said ‘you’. He pretty much promised that the two of them together would make things okay and maybe that was the wrong vow to make.

“Zoe, I didn’t...” he began, only for a nurse type person to suddenly appear to say it was time for Miss Hart to go in for her scan.

She got up then and Wade let his hand slip away from Zoe’s own. It was only when she looked back at him with genuinely sad and fearful eyes that he realised maybe that was the dumbest move he made today.

“Um, you’re not coming with me?” she asked shakily.

“Well, of course I’m comin’ with you, crazy girl,” he told her, on his feet in a second and rolling his eyes at her. “Like I’d let you go do this all by yourself.”

Zoe was grinning immediately, grabbing a hold of his hand again and pulling Wade along behind her down the hallway.

Out of her sight, he took a deep breath and tried to brace himself for what came next. This really was not how he saw his day going at all.

* * *

“You feelin’ a little nervous, honey?” asked Jennifer, the kind-looking sonographer, as she readied the machine.

“No,” Zoe insisted, shaking her head. “Not a little nervous. A _lot_ nervous.”

“Hey, you’re just fine,” Wade assured her. “Nothin’ to worry about here, right, doc?”

“Listen to your boyfriend, Zoe. He knows what he’s talkin’ about,” Jennifer insisted with a smile.

Zoe opened her mouth to correct the situation, to explain that Wade wasn’t her boyfriend and certainly not the father of her baby, but the words just wouldn’t come. She glanced sideways at Wade and found he wasn’t making any corrections either, so clearly it didn’t bother him. Probably best just to let it go, since there were much more important things about to happen.

“Now, just like last time, this will feel a little cold,” said Jennifer then, applying the gel and readying the wand to perform the scan. “There’ll be some pressure and it might be a little uncomfortable, but that’s completely normal. Worth it in the end to see the little one, right?”

“Yep, that’s what we’re here for,” said Zoe, swallowing hard as she watched the screen come to life before her.

She didn’t look away once, not even as she let her hand slide off the edge of the bed, reaching for Wade’s own hand and interlacing their fingers. He didn’t argue or pull away, just squeezed her hand right back, looking in the same direction she was and waiting for the show to start.

“Okay,” said Jennifer then. “Here’s baby. Looking all kinds of well-formed and healthy, far as I can tell. Just listen to that heartbeat. That’s a good strong rhythm.”

“Strong like his momma,” said Wade softly, “or her momma, I guess. Uh, you can tell which one now, right? Isn’t that what you said?” he checked, looking from Jennifer to Zoe, who only nodded dumbly.

“Yep, we can tell you the sex today, if you wanna know?” Jennifer agreed, staring at the screen some more. “Want the big news now or you wanna be surprised on the day?” she asked then, turning to look at Zoe.

Honestly, she wasn’t really sure what the answer to that question was and hadn’t been for weeks now. As the moment came and she was asked the question, Zoe realised she could not walk out of this room without knowing. With so much uncertainty in so many other parts of her life, she wanted this fact, this truth that was definite.

“I’d like to know now, please,” she said, taking a deep breath and bracing accordingly, unsure how she would feel when she heard the news.

“Well, then.” Jennifer smiled. “I am happy to report that in around twenty weeks from now, you two are gonna have a little baby girl to call your own.”

Zoe felt as if the whole world went out of focus in the moments that followed. All she could see was the picture of her baby on the screen, all she could hear were Jennifer’s words repeating over and over in her head. A baby girl, a daughter. Zoe Hart was going to be the mother of a little girl in just a few months’ time.

“I hope those are happy tears.”

Suddenly, Wade’s words cut through the void Zoe had seemed to fall into and she looked at him, finding his face as blurry as his voice was gentle. Her hand went to her face and she tried to wipe away all the tears she hadn’t even realised she was shedding. Were they borne out of happiness? Yes, in some ways they were, she was sure. She was happy to know her baby was healthy and not at all sad to know she was having a girl. A boy would’ve been fine too, but still, she was happy about all of that. 

Maybe there were some sad tears too, she thought, as she looked from Wade to the screen and back. He wasn’t the father, despite what Jennifer thought. He wasn’t even her boyfriend, though she knew he could be, maybe, if she wanted.

Things were still a mess in Zoe’s life, in so many complicated ways, and so, yes, she was crying happy tears and sad tears, even angry tears for what she had lost and the lies she had been told by too many people, but she hadn’t the words to explain any of it.

“Standard issue is two print-outs, but we can make more if you need them,” Jennifer was explaining when Zoe started paying attention again. “How many do you need, honey?”

Zoe blinked hard, shook her head to clear the mist that settled in.

“Two is fine, thanks,” she forced out around the lump in her throat.

That would be one for herself and another for Harley to show off his granddaughter, which he would doubtless like to do. He certainly had with the first sonogram picture. Zoe had no interest in getting any more copies. Her mom might want one, but she wasn’t getting it, and certainly Logan would have no time for a picture of his unborn child.

Wade squeezed her hand then and Zoe turned to look, finding him smiling softly at her still. “You doin’ okay, Zoe?” he checked.

“Sure,” she said, nodding her head. “It’s just... a lot,” she admitted. “Big day.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he agreed. “Weirdest birthday I ever had, that’s for sure.”

“It’s your birthday?” she checked, wide-eyed with surprise. “Wade, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Sweetheart, you had bigger things to take care of,” he reminded her, tilting his head towards the sonogram machine as Jennifer printed out the pictures, oblivious to the quiet conversation. “Besides, it’s not somethin’ I make a big deal about, at least, not for the last ten years,” he explained with a look.

Zoe nodded in understanding, then leaned right over and awkwardly planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Happy birthday, Wade,” she told him, “and thank you, for... everything.”

“You’re more than welcome, Zoe,” he promised her with a smile.


	25. Chapter 25

“I know it’s kind of fuzzy,” said Zoe of the sonogram picture she had scanned into the computer and emailed over to her friend, “but that’s my baby, my little girl,” she explained.

“That is so amazing!” said Katie with genuine wonder in her voice. “Also, kinda scary.”

“Tell me about it!” Zoe agreed without pause. “I’m pretty much equal parts amazed and scared all the time these days, but hey, I guess that’s what motherhood does for a person.”

“Probably,” Katie agreed. “Still, you’re happy, right? I mean, you seemed happy in your email. You sound pretty happy too.”

“I guess I am,” said Zoe with a smile. “I mean, what I said about being scared is totally true, but also normal for most pregnant women, not just me. Being in Bluebell... I could never have imagined living my life in a place like this, and certainly never in circumstances like these, but it’s working. Mostly, it’s working.”

“Only mostly?”

Zoe had known the moment she phrased it that way that Katie was bound to question what she meant by it. Maybe a part of her had done it on purpose, just so she had an excuse to tell someone what she was feeling. God knows, if anyone deserved to hear all about it, it was Wade more than Katie, but her girl-friend might just be easier to explain it to than the guy involved.

“Don’t get me wrong, things are great here. Harley is just the best and I’ve made some girl-friends and almost everybody is kind and supportive, but me and Wade...”

“Ah, Wade,” said Katie knowingly. “You really like him, don’t you?”

Zoe sighed. “I really, really do. I try so hard not to, but honestly, it’s getting tougher all the time, and the thing is, I actually think he likes me too. I mean, I _know_ that he likes me, but maybe even enough that... that he’d be okay with things the way they are. Do you think that’s crazy?”

“I wouldn’t say crazy exactly,” Katie told her, though there was a tone in her voice that suggested a but or similar was coming up fast. “Look, Zoe, I would love to tell you that you should go for it with Wade. If things were different, if you weren’t pregnant and everything...”

“But I am pregnant,” said Zoe, nodding her head, even though Katie couldn’t see that. “And as much as I wish it didn’t make a difference, we both know that it does.”

“I think so,” her friend agreed, though to be fair to her, she did sound like she wished she didn’t have to say it.

They talked a little longer about other things after that, but not for long. Though Zoe knew it wasn’t Katie’s fault and she was just being honest and frank with her, she really didn’t want to hear it. There was a part of Zoe that still believed maybe, just maybe, she and Wade could be together, raise her daughter between them and everything, and get that happily ever after that everybody was always talking about. Of course, she knew real life was much more complicated than books and movies, in which everything almost always worked out in the end, but she wanted it to be true, even though she knew it probably could never happen.

“I’ve only known him three and a half months,” she said to herself, or perhaps even to her unborn child as her hand rested on the developing bump at her middle. “Of course, that can be long enough sometimes. Hey, I’ve only known my own father that long and I trust him. I trust Wade, and sometimes I think I even... well, I mean, I have some serious feelings for him, I know that. This is not some random teenage lust thing.”

Zoe laughed when she realised she was having this conversation with a foetus. Not that she didn’t believe her baby could hear her talking to her and everything, because she probably could, but were her feelings for some guy that wasn’t even the baby’s father an appropriate topic of conversation?

“Mommy might be going a little crazy,” she said then, patting her bump.

She physically flinched a second later when she felt something seemingly pat back at her. Zoe sat very still, waiting, wondering if she just imagined what she thought she felt, and then, it happened again. It was a strange swirling, fluttering kind of a feeling inside of her, nothing that could probably be felt externally, but still. There was movement, there was real evidence of life.

The tears that leaked from Zoe’s eyes then came as a bit of a surprise, but that was okay. At least they were happy tears. A few moments later, having dried off her face, she went in search of Harley to tell him what happened. Though she invited him to see if he could feel the movement that was still occurring intermittently, he confirmed that it wasn’t enough to be felt by anyone else yet.

“Believe me, Zoe, it’ll happen soon enough,” he told her definitely. “When she gets a little bigger and starts to kicking and such, she’ll make her presence well and truly felt to all,” he said with a smile. “Now, you’re coming down was fortuitous. I was just about to yell up to ask you if you had any plans for dinner, because I’m afraid I won’t be joining you tonight. Seems Mr Smith’s old trouble has gone and flared up again, he needs me to go on over there.”

“No problem,” Zoe told him easily. “I can go eat at the Rammer Jammer.”

“Of course, you can,” said Harley, looking away and into his bag that he was checking.

Zoe wasn’t sure what the tone in his voice meant and she didn’t care to ask. Wade was kind of a sticky topic in the Wilkes house, especially lately. It was clear enough that Harley liked and trusted Wade and had no problem with him and Zoe being good friends. Of course, he wasn’t blind or stupid, so he also knew there was potentially more than friendship between his daughter and the Kinsella boy. It was just that Zoe never talked to him about it, because frankly, she wouldn’t know what to say if she tried.

A half hour later, Harley was long gone, on his way to the Smiths place, and Zoe was pulling on her jacket and heading out to the Rammer Jammer. It wasn’t a long walk and, at this stage, she was still more than capable of getting there in a decent amount of time, though Zoe was well aware that as time wore on, it would get harder for her to make the journey on foot.

Maybe she should get a car sometime, since she had a licence and everything. Zoe was thinking about this as she headed on through town, stopping abruptly just across the street from the hardware store when she heard a voice she recognised yelling a name she knew well too.

“Earl, come on now,” said Wade, seemingly somewhere close but nowhere Zoe could see.

She looked left and right, then turned a complete circle, before finally realising that the loud conversation she could hear between the Kinsella men wasn’t in the street anywhere, it was high above.

“Oh my God!” she gasped, rushing across the street, barely sparing a second to check for traffic. “Wade? What is going on?”

“Well, hey there, pretty girl,” said the older man on the edge of the roof, the one that could only be Wade’s father, Earl. “She your girlfriend, son?”

“No, she ain’t!” said Wade sharply. “But she is a friend o’ mine and, obviously, she’s pregnant, so could you stop scarin’ the ever-living crap out of her and come away from the damn edge!” he insisted.

Zoe hardly knew what to think as the two went back and forth, arguing in words she could no longer make out, until finally Wade sighed, his hand covering his face a moment.

“I swear to God, old man, you will be the death o’ me,” he said then, clearing his throat before he began to sing.

Zoe was wide-eyed with amazement as much as shock as she stood there, head tipped back while she watched the two men on the roof sing their duet, an oddly tuneful rendition of ‘Moon River.’

Finally, when they were done, Earl seemed willing to be led down to the ground. Zoe rushed to where the Kinsella men were making their descent, not realising she was shaking until she reached out a hand to assist in getting a very wobbly Earl down to the ground safely.

“Ain’t my boy really somethin’?” the old man asked Zoe, breathing whiskey fumes all over her.

“Wow,” she gasped, turning away. “I think that’s more booze than a pregnant woman should have already.”

“You prob’ly ain’t wrong,” Wade agreed with an uncomfortable look. “I’m sorry about this, Zo. Ain’t exactly how I pictured you meetin’ my dad for the first time,” he said as he put an arm under Earl’s own and around his back, supporting him as they walked along. “I gotta get him home to bed already.”

“I’ll come with you, if that’s okay?” she offered, as worried he would agree as not.

“You can come along with us, pretty girl,” Earl agreed, grabbing a hold of her hand and squeezing. “Yes, sir, you are a pretty little thing. I figured you had to be. My Wade, he talks about you all the time. Blah, blah, blah, Zoe. Blah, blah, blah, Zoe. Zoe, Zoe, Zoe.”

Zoe looked from Earl to Wade and found her friend wouldn’t even glance her way.

“Just get in the car, old man,” he told his father crossly, practically throwing him into the back seat. “If you’re coming, you need to ride up front,” he told Zoe, even as he slammed the back door shut on Earl.

“Sure.” Zoe nodded, thanking Wade when he opened up the passenger door and ushered her inside.

She knew this was a serious situation, a drunk man on a roof, presumably talking about jumping maybe, but Zoe could hardly keep the smile from her lips. Wade talked about her to his father, a lot, it seemed. Sure, Earl was drunk right now, but not so drunk he didn’t know who she was and how much he had heard about her recently. It was stupid to be so proud of that, Zoe was sure, but she couldn’t help it somehow.

When they got back to the Kinsella place, she had to help Wade get Earl to his room, since he seemed determined that he just wasn’t tired. It was like dealing with a child, or wrangling an animal, maybe both, Zoe thought. Still, when the job was done and Earl was all tucked up in his bed, Zoe knew things were only going to get more complicated, especially when he grabbed her hand again right before they left the bedroom.

“You are... you’re a special one,” he told her with a grin, even though his eyes were closed. “Good for my boy. Perfect match... like my Jackie was for me.”

Zoe frowned a little as Earl bit his lip and looked pained. The poor guy missed his wife so much, even after all these years. She couldn’t imagine how that felt and understood a little more about the drinking when she thought about it that way.

“Get some sleep, Earl,” she said gently, prising her hand from his grasp. “I’m sure it’ll help.”

Wade was by the door and closed it up behind her as she stepped through.

“It’ll sober him up, but it won’t really help much,” he said bitterly, rubbing a hand over his face. “I guess I shoulda warned you about the 1st of the month, huh?”

Zoe looked from Wade’s pained expression to Earl’s door and back.

“He does this every month?”

“Pretty much.” Wade nodded. “You missed it before, I guess, on account of one thing and another. Besides, we usually avoid the spectacle on New Year’s, but here we are again, February 1st and back to the old routine.”

He looked so tired as he moved over to the couch and sat down heavily on it. Zoe was sure that dealing with Earl must be so very draining on poor Wade, but she never heard him complain much, hardly ever saw him without a smile, except for moments like this, obviously.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she came to sit close beside him. “I wish there was more I could do to help.”

“You already done everythin’ you can today, Zoe,” he assured her, looking down at her hand now resting on top of his own there by his knee. “We both have.”

“Still, I wish there was something else, some way to make this easier. To make you feel better.”

She looked so innocent and earnest when she said it, Wade was pretty sure she hadn’t an idea what she was doing to him. Of course she wanted to help, Zoe was just that kind of a person, the good kind, the caring type. Went with the whole wanting to be a doctor thing, he supposed, that and her being his friend and all. Still, sitting there with her hand laid on his, telling him she wanted to do anything she could to make him feel better, it was an offer he knew he couldn’t take her up on, not the way he wished he could.

“You’re killin’ me, Zo, you know that?” he told her then, feeling like a heel when her face fell.

She hadn’t realised and now that he pointed it out, she clearly felt awful. Pulling her hand away, she stood up fast and headed right for the door, muttering something about needing to leave. Wade was sure that was probably for the best, even though every part of him was screaming to beg her to stay. He was on his feet and had actually opened his mouth to say it when he realised she had stopped right at the door, her hand at the latch but not moving anymore. Before he had a chance to ask if something was wrong, she turned and came flying back to him, hands taking a hold of his head as she pulled him to her and crashed her lips against his own.

Wade was nobody’s fool and never willing to miss an opportunity at all. As Zoe kissed him, he kissed her back in equal measure, arms reaching out to hold her, to pull her close as he could for as long as she would let him. It wasn’t long enough.

“I’m sorry,” she said, gasping in air. “Wade, I... I am so sorry. I know I’m only making it worse.”

“Is that what you’re doin’?” he asked, a little dazed by the whole situation, truth be known. “Zoe, you gotta know by now, you are all I want,” he told her straight, even as her fingers went to her lips and she looked uncertain.

“Wade, come on,” she said then, head shaking slightly. “You don’t... you can’t _only_ want me. What about Tansy? And all those other girls? Are you seriously telling me you don’t want them too?”

He opened his mouth to deny it but knew it was impossible. Taking a deep breath, he started over, no half-truths, no twisted facts, like he might spin with other girls. This was Zoe and he would not lie to her.

“Yes, okay, I see other girls. I take ‘em out, and sometimes, we have sex. I’m not gonna pretend I’m somethin’ I’m not, Zoe, but this is the God’s honest truth,” he said, moving in closer and meeting her eyes. “I would give up all of that, even the flirting and just... every-damn-thing, if I could be with you. If you and me were together, that would be it for me. You would be enough, if we could just-”

“But we can’t!” she cut him off just a little too loudly, seeming to realise it a little too late as she glanced to Earl’s door and back, regulating her volume before she continued. “Wade, you know it’s not possible. You know we can’t be more than friends, it can’t work, and I know some of this is my fault. I know I’m sending mixed signals and I really don’t mean to, I just... I’m sorry,” she told him, fighting tears.

Wade heaved a sigh and shook his head. “I know. I know, alright?” he told her, pulling her into his arms and holding her gently against him as she cried. “It’s like I told you before, Zoe,” he said, rubbing her back. “You need me, I am here, and after all this, it’s clear enough to me that you’re gonna be there for me and Crazy Earl if we need you. Can’t exactly go messin’ up a friendship like that, now, can we?”

“I don’t think so,” Zoe agreed, words muffled against his shirt.

Wade wouldn’t say anything more about how painful it was to have her in his arms and know he was never getting any closer. He wouldn’t make her feel bad for that amazing kiss she laid on him a little while back either. Truth was, maybe it would simple his life up a whole lot if Zoe had never come on the scene, if Harley never had told Wade about his daughter in the first place, but that didn’t mean he regretted meeting her or was sorry about her being here now.

This was a kind of pain he could deal with, Wade decided, having Zoe as a friend and no more, at least, for now. Not having her around at all, that really might just go ahead and kill him altogether.

“You know, now you’ve met Earl, all official and everything, you best come around the house plenty when he’s home,” he said then, knowing he was a fool and torturing himself, but unable to help it somehow. “Pretty sure he took a shine to you long before he ever laid eyes on you, but now he has, there’s no gettin’ away from him.”

“He’s clearly a nice guy,” said Zoe, pulling back to look up at Wade then, finally wearing a smile again. “He just has some problems, and hey, we all have those.”

“Yeah, ‘cept most of us don’t climb on roofs once a month because of ‘em.” Wade rolled his eyes.

“Do you always have to sing to get him down?” Zoe asked curiously.

“Every damn time,” he told her, nodding his head. “That song... it was Momma’s favourite.”

Whether he heard them talking or not, Wade couldn’t be sure, but he and Zoe both looked to old Earl’s door then as he slurred his way through another chorus of ‘Moon River.’

With his arms still around Zoe and her body swaying a little to the tune, it was almost as if they were dancing, Wade thought, then immediately wished it hadn’t occurred to him. Right now, he and Zoe felt just about as doomed as his parents own relationship had been, albeit for very different reasons. Still, he had to hope for a happy ending, even if he had thought he gave up on those long ago. Meeting Zoe sure had changed a lot of things for Wade, but he wouldn’t change her, not for all the world.


	26. Chapter 26

“I mean, you know me, Zoe. I ain’t exactly a speech maker. I ain’t much of anythin’, I guess, not to most folks, but I figure... well, you know as well as I do, there’s something between us, and yeah, I know you’re gonna tell me that it can’t work out, what with you havin’ a kid and all, but what if I was okay with that? What if...?”

Wade trailed off, getting mad at himself for not knowing where to go from there. His hand slammed hard against the surface of the table and he leaned his weight heavily on the furniture.

He must’ve been practising this speech off and on for two or three days now, and still he never got it right. He wished to God he was the type that was good with words, that he had the same confidence as George Tucker when it came to making speeches and everything, but he just didn’t.

Wasn’t as if Wade did much serious talking to people, but then there was Zoe. She wasn’t just any person, she was special. She was somebody he actually loved, in what he was pretty sure was a forever kind of way. That was something that was never supposed to happen to Wade Kinsella, he was sure on that. He had seen what love could do for people, how much pain it could bring in the long term, one way or another. Better to never get mixed up in it at all, he thought, stick to casual dating, casual sex, because so long as everybody knew where they stood, that never bothered anybody none. Every theory and idea he ever had on that score just flew right on out of the window when Zoe Hart showed up in his life.

Wade sat down heavily in the chair, his face in his hands. No, that wasn’t fair, she hadn’t exactly just come wandering into his life and turned it upside down. He had actively sought her out, not for himself, but for Harley, at least that was what he said. Much like he told Zoe days before though, he wondered even then if all his effort had really been for the good doctor. Something inside of Wade, some voice or feeling or whatever, it seemed to be telling him from the get-go that he needed to know Zoe Hart. Knowing her was pretty quickly followed by loving her, and now, he couldn’t imagine letting her slip through his fingers.

“Okay,” he said to himself, getting back on his feet. “So, if you’re serious about this, you have to tell her. Get your head in the game, Kinsella.”

Taking a deep breath, Wade squared his shoulders and faced himself in the mirror on the opposite wall. He had to get this right, had to find some way of explaining himself to Zoe so that it made sense, so she would believe in his feelings for her, so they could try and make something work out between them, no matter how messy it got.

“Zoe, I... I am in love with you. Truth is, I’m pretty sure I’ve felt this way for a while now, and I know you’re gonna say that we can’t do anythin’ about these feelins we’re havin’, and I’d agree with you if it was just about sex or whatever, but it’s not. Like I said, I am in love with you, Zoe Hart, and I think maybe, if you were honest, you could admit that you’re in love with me too.”

“If she doesn’t, she’s a damn fool.”

Wade was so startled when somebody else spoke, he almost had some kind of seizure. Looking over to where Earl was stood leaning by the bedroom door, watching him, Wade had his hand over his heart that was beating a mile a minute.

“You near scared the livin’ daylights outta me, old man!” he told him crossly.

“Seems to me you might just be doin’ that all by yourself,” said Earl with a look, “but what I said still stands. That girl doesn’t admit she loves you just as much as you love her, she’s a fool. Not to mention a liar. Doesn’t seem to me the pretty girl would be that.”

Wade sighed and shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” he told his father in no uncertain terms. “I mean, can you even imagine this workin’ out? Me and a girl like that? Not to mention the fact she’s pregnant by some other guy.”

“Well, if that don’t bother you, it don’t bother me any.” Earl shrugged. “Now, I know for sure that you and Jesse are my boys, but you really think I woulda loved your mother any less if she had been... well, somebody else’s before she was mine? You think I wouldn’t have felt just the same about her? ‘Cause I tell you this, I can’t even picture a world where I wasn’t crazy about her from the first second to the... to the very last.”

He got choked up just saying it and Wade felt guilty, even if he hadn’t at all encouraged his father to get onto the topic of the great romance in his own life. Of course, talking about falling in love himself was bound to do that. Wade really hadn’t expected any of this to happen. He really hadn’t expected old Earl to be supporting him when it came to pledging himself to Zoe and her unborn child that wasn’t even his kid either.

“I don’t know what I’m doin’,” Wade admitted, sitting back down in the chair, running his hands over his face, then back through his hair until it stuck up at all angles. “I gotta be as crazy as all get out if I tell her all o’ that stuff, right? I mean, sure, I love her. I just do, okay? But that doesn’t mean that... well, that we can make anythin’ work out. She’s havin’ a baby, dad,” he said, the reality of it washing over him all over again as he said it out loud. “What I do know about raising a kid? Taking care of a woman and a baby?”

“Taking care is taking care.” Earl shook his head, coming to sit down by his son. “Let’s face it, Wade, right or wrong, you’ve been takin’ care o’ me almost as long as I spent raising you,” he said, eyes on the tabletop and guilt clear in every inch of him. “I ain’t proud o’ the way I am, son, but nobody could say you don’t know how to take care and be responsible when you need to.”

That was another part of all this that bothered Wade, though he knew talking to his father about it wouldn’t be at all easy. If he did make promises to Zoe, commit himself to being there for her and her daughter, one hundred percent, then what did that mean for Earl? The old fool could barely take care of himself at all half the time. Like he said himself, Wade had been looking out for him almost as many years as Earl spent raising him before that. There was no way he could take care of everybody, no matter how much faith Earl had in him to do right by them all.

“I don’t wanna make promises I can’t keep, I know that,” he admitted, looking anywhere but at his father. “Not to Zoe. Not to you either.”

Silence reigned for a minute or more, before suddenly Wade felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up across the table to meet Earl’s watery eyes.

“I have held you back long enough, son,” he said softly. “Seems to me it’s time I stood on my own two feet, without you to hold me up, nor a bottle to keep me goin’.”

Wade shook his head, opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn’t sure what, but it seemed Earl wasn’t done.

“That’s it, this time I mean it,” he said definitely. “I shoulda given it up years ago, for your sake more than anythin’ else, and I’m sorry I couldn’t, but now there’s more reason than ever to try,” he said, nodding his head firmly. “Now, I won’t be the reason you don’t get your chance with Zoe and that baby o’ hers, so this is me making my own promise, so that you can make yours and mean it. No more drinkin’, I swear it.”

“No offence, old man,” said Wade, smiling sadly, “but I heard all this before, too many times.”

“Maybe so,” Earl agreed, “but this time is different. This time I mean it,” he said, patting Wade’s shoulder twice before he got up from his seat and excused himself to the bathroom.

There was no point arguing anymore, Wade knew that. Still, as much as he hoped he could believe in Earl’s promise, he expected there to be a drink in his hand again within the week. It was just the way it was.

_Ten days later..._

Zoe never had been big on celebrating her birthday. She told Harley as much, concerned that he might think a big party would be a nice surprise or something. He seemed to take it okay that she would prefer not to have a fuss made. As far as she knew there was only Harley himself and Wade, who she had told, that even knew that today was more than just Valentine’s Day, but also her 20th birthday.

“I know you said no fuss,” said her father, as he handed her a card and a small wrapped gift over the breakfast table. “You’ll forgive an old man, won’t you, honey?”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling widely. “And of course, I forgive you. I never object to a good card and... oh my goodness,” she gasped as she opened up the package she had been presented with and found the most beautiful earrings inside.

“I don’t know if they’re to your taste. I was goin’ on what I’ve seen you wear before and I just figured...”

“Harley, they’re beautiful,” she told him honestly, getting up from her seat and hurrying around the table to hug him. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re more’n welcome, honey,” he told her with a wide smile, breathing a sigh of relief too, it seemed. “Of course, there is one other thing I was plannin’ for today, which I hope you won’t mind too much. I can’t imagine that you would.”

“Another beautiful gift?” Zoe checked, smiling cheekily as she returned to her seat and started switching out her earrings for the new ones.

“It’s a kind of a gift, I guess,” Harley considered. “Well, first, I thought about booking a table at Fancie’s and taking you out for a real nice meal tonight, but then I got to talking to Wade and, well, seems he had been makin’ some plans for tonight also.”

“He has?” Zoe wondered when her voice got so high and made a point of clearing her throat before she dared to speak again. “Um, I mean, he hasn’t said anything to me.”

“No, well, he was askin’ me if we had any plans ourselves before he went ahead and made some of his own. Anyway, the long and the short of it is, we thought we’d have kind of a little three-person party here between us, just you and me and Wade, with us menfolk doing the cooking and treating you like the princess you are. How’s that sound?”

There was something in the way he said it more than the words themselves that made Zoe a little suspicious, though she couldn’t imagine what she had to be afraid of. Being left alone with Wade, now that could be problematic, not because she didn’t trust him or anything, but more so that it was getting increasingly difficult for her to trust herself. It was why she made sure to only see him in public places like the town square, the Rammer Jammer, or the Butter Stick of late. If he was coming over tonight for dinner, that should be fine, since Harley would be present the whole time. Nothing was a bigger passion killer than a parent’s company, after all.

“Wow, that sounds... like you’re really going to spoil me, even more than you already have,” she said, gesturing to her card and the gift she was now wearing. “Thank you.”

“Again, you are more than welcome, sweetheart.” Harley smiled across at her. “You know, for what it’s worth, well, I know I had my reservations in the beginning about you and Wade getting close, given your condition and his reputation and everythin’...”

“I know and, believe me, I am aware of how complicated it is,” Zoe insisted, shaking her head, but didn’t get a chance to say more as Harley cut in to continue.

“What I was goin’ to say was, I do understand how you feel about him, Zoe, and how he seems to feel about you too, and... well, obviously, it’s not my place to decide for either of you young folks. I just want you to know, whatever you decide to do with your future, in any way, I am on your side, honey. Always,” he promised her faithfully.

Quite honestly, Zoe wasn’t sure how to take his words, or the way he came over to drop a kiss on the top of her head before heading upstairs to get ready for work. Harley was such a nice guy and he made a great father, Zoe thought. Ethan Hart had been fine when she was a kid and everything, but for a person who had his daughter pretty much dropped on him out of nowhere, complete with a baby of her own on the way, Harley was doing a pretty decent job of being the best dad a girl could ask for.

She could hardly say that Wade had been any less there for her. If she hadn’t been so attracted to him, he could’ve made a really great big brother type, but that just wasn’t possible. Maybe Zoe could’ve gotten past it if it was just a physical thing, just her hormones acting up and the fact that Wade was ridiculously hot, but it wasn’t. He was also maybe the nicest guy she ever met in her life that wasn’t her father. He was kind and helpful and sweet, he cheered her up every time she felt sad, made her laugh all the time, and he was just there for her, in ways she couldn’t begin to describe.

Not that it was all one-sided. Zoe wanted to be there for Wade too, wanted to be the person he wanted to talk to, to lean on. They just connected on so many levels and were almost instantly comfortable in each other’s company. In another place and time, it could’ve been perfect.

“In another world,” Zoe muttered to herself, getting to her feet. “Harley!” she yelled up the stairs just as soon as she reached the bottom. “I’m going to take a walk.”

“You don’t wanna wait for me to give you a ride into town?” he called back as he appeared at the top. “I’d be happy to.”

“No, thank you.” Zoe smiled. “I just need to stretch my legs.”

It wasn’t untrue, but of course, there was more to it than that. She needed some time alone with her thoughts, out in the fresh air and warm sunshine.

Today, Zoe was twenty years old, five months pregnant, and falling hard for a guy that was neither her baby’s father or someone she had known long enough to make a future with. At least, that was what she told herself, as she walked on towards the centre of Bluebell.

It was quiet out this early, pleasantly so. Zoe had learned to appreciate being able to hear the birds singing, the crickets chirping, and the water on the lake lapping in little waves. She liked to see the little stores opening their shutters and the kids chasing each other all the way to school, laughing and yelling happily as they went. It was all so peaceful and life affirming, in a strange way. Even when she was feeling pretty crappy and unsure what the future really held for her, just wandering around the town square could make her feel a hundred times better.

Turning the next corner, Zoe found herself smiling, at least until a person coming the other way almost crashed right into her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I...” Tansy stopped short in her apology when she realised who she was talking to. “Well, I guess I’m still sorry, in the circumstances,” she admitted, gesturing vaguely to Zoe’s bump.

“No harm done,” Zoe told her, shaking her head. “It was as much my fault as yours. I wasn’t really looking where I was going.”

“Right.” Tansy nodded once, looking as if she would like to just walk away, but good manners wouldn’t let her. “I’m guessin’ you’re headed over to Wade’s place, right? Honestly, I am amazed he isn’t glued to your side, escorting you just everywhere you need to go.”

The way she said it, practically spitting out the words like venom, Zoe was so surprised. Tansy always seemed like such a nice person. In fact, Harley and various other people had told her that’s exactly what she was. Despite the fact he went for looks more than personality most of the time, Zoe was pretty sure Wade wouldn’t have been seeing so much of Tansy if she was genuinely unpleasant anyway.

“Wade is my friend,” said Zoe then, shaking her head, “but we’re not joined at the hip or anything. He has his own life.”

“Really?” Tansy checked, making a face. “That’s not how it seems to me. You know, he told me last week that he can’t see me anymore. Seems to me we both know why that is.”

“But I...” Zoe started to say, but it was evident enough that Tansy didn’t wanna hear it, her hand coming up to halt Zoe’s words.

“I’m not blamin’ you. I mean, in your condition and all, I can’t imagine you exactly made a play for him or anythin’. I just thought... well, guess I was wrong,” she said with a sigh, muttering some kind of goodbye as she squeezed by Zoe then and walked away.

Zoe turned around to watch Tansy walk away and frowned hard. She hardly knew what to make of that particular conversation, until her mind went back to another that she had with Wade almost two weeks ago now.

Hadn’t he told her then that if she wanted him to, he could commit to her, could give up all the other girls and be faithful, be all she needed? Of course, she told him no, that it could never work, but with the promises he tried to make her then, plus the fact he had told Tansy he wouldn’t be seeing her anymore, coupled with what Harley had said this morning, it certainly had given Zoe Hart an awful lot to think about.


	27. Chapter 27

Zoe wasn’t sure if something strange was going on with Wade or if she was just projecting after her talk with Tansy and all the strange thoughts it had conjured. Sitting alone in the living room while Harley and Wade fixed dinner in the kitchen, talking and laughing like old friends as they did so, Zoe replayed her entire interaction with her friend today, looking for clues. She didn’t really find any.

Wade had arrived at the house with a bag of items that he needed for dinner prep and a smile a mile wide as he wished Zoe a happy birthday and planted a kiss on her cheek. He looked the same, as far as she could tell. Maybe a little dressed up, now that she considered it. Wade was practically sponsored by denim and flannel, but he had on a white button-down and real pants tonight, like he meant to make an effort.

“It’s my birthday, people make an effort for that kind of thing,” she told herself softly. “I’m totally reading too much into everything, aren’t I?” she asked her bump, since there was nobody else present.

The kick she felt, both inside and against her hand that was laid on top of her belly, was a little ambiguous to Zoe’s mind. Was that meant to be agreement or an argument? Two kicks for yes and one for no, maybe? It was entirely possible she was losing her mind at this point.

“Okay,” said Harley then, clapping his hands together as he emerged from the kitchen. “We’re almost ready now. Hope you’re feelin’ hungry, sweetheart.”

“Aren’t I always lately?” Zoe replied with a smile, levering herself up out of the chair. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Now, that would kinda defeat the object of us tryin’ to spoil you, wouldn’t it?” said Wade from the doorway. “All you can do, Birthday Girl, is come on through here and take a seat at the table.”

“Okay, I’ll do that then,” said Zoe, looking from Harley to Wade and back before walking through to the dining room. “Oh, wow,” she gasped as she saw the table, bedecked with a pretty tablecloth, real napkins, the whole works. “You guys really went all out, thank you,” she told them both happily.

“Only the best for our Zoe,” said Harley, his arm around her then as he kissed the top of her head. “Now, like Wade said, you take your seat and we’ll bring the food right out.”

Zoe did as she was asked and prepared for the grand meal. It really was very good and though she actually hadn’t been so hungry when she started, there was no way she could leave any of the delicious food. Of course, dessert involved presenting her with the most enormous and elaborate cake, the one part of the meal that neither Harley nor Wade had a hand in baking. Agnes at the bakery had put all her best efforts into the chocolate and vanilla extravaganza that Zoe was thrilled to see and even happier to get to eat a slice from.

“I honestly don’t think I’m going to need to eat again for a week after this,” she declared as she ate her last bite and placed her fork down on the plate. “You guys, this was all so great. Thank you so much.”

“It’s no more than you deserve, Zoe, honey,” Harley assured her. “Just so long as you have enjoyed today, then it was all worth it.”

“I really have,” she promised. “Wow, I just... I probably shouldn’t have eaten _that_ much.”

“Uh, well, you maybe wanna take a walk or somethin’?” asked Wade, looking just about as awkward as Zoe had ever seen him. “It’s not cold out and I could sure use the fresh air after all that time in the kitchen myself.”

“Oh, well...”

“You go on, you two,” Harley insisted when Zoe looked uncertain. “I’ll clear away some of these dishes and such,” he said with a smile as he disappeared into the kitchen with his hands full.

Zoe was almost certain now that something weird was going on and she planned to ask Wade just exactly what it was the moment they got outside. Stepping carefully down off the porch, she waited a second for him to catch up to her, and as they set off walking in the moonlight, Zoe opened her mouth to ask her question, only for Wade to jump in first.

“So, I was hopin’ to get to talk to you alone tonight. It ain’t that I don’t like Harley well enough, you know that, but... well, I kinda had somethin’ I needed to say and, uh, also a gift I wanted to give to you.”

“You got me a gift?” Zoe checked, staring up at him. “Wade, you didn’t have to. I mean, I didn’t get you a gift on your birthday.”

“If you remember, you didn’t even know it was my birthday until it was half over,” he reminded her. “But it doesn’t matter to me anyway, Zoe. You oughta know by now that I don’t need any gift from you. Havin’ you in my life is gift enough.”

It was maybe the sweetest thing anybody had ever said to her and the best part was that Zoe knew Wade meant it. She wished she knew what to say back, but her mind was already so muddled, long before they ever landed up in this romantic setting, with Wade saying beautiful things to her and everything.

They had been essentially walking around the block and soon came up on the back of the Wilkes’ house. Wade reached for Zoe’s hand then, pulling her with him as he went up onto the back porch and encouraged her to sit down on the swing there.

“So, this gift I got for you,” he said, clearing his throat before he could go on.

“Aren’t you going to sit down?” she asked him, wondering why his awkward shifting around should be making her so nervous, but it was.

“Not right now.” Wade shook his head. “Look, Zoe, I just gotta get this out, because God knows, it ain’t the easiest speech I ever made in my life. Now, it kinda starts with this gift, and first, I have to tell you that I didn’t exactly get it for you as such. What I mean is, I didn’t go to a store and pick it out and buy it. Oh, that doesn’t mean it ain’t mine to give away,” he explained, clearly having noticed the look of confusion and concern on Zoe’s face. “See, uh, this is what it is,” Wade said then, producing a small box from his pocket and placing it in her hand.

If Zoe hadn’t already been shaking before, which she had been thanks to the nerves and anticipation, she certainly was the moment she saw the ring box.

“Wade, what are you-?”

“Don’t start freakin’ out, Zo, please,” he urged her, finally sitting down beside her on the swing. “Just take a look, okay?”

Zoe nodded her agreement, then took a deep breath before finally prising open the box. They both knew what she had been expecting - an engagement ring. She got a surprise when she realised that wasn’t what she was looking at. Of course, now she needed an explanation, which Wade was happy to give. Hell, he had practiced it enough times, it shouldn’t be so tough to tell her everything.

“This ring, it belonged to my momma. It’s somethin’ old Earl got for her the day my brother, Jesse, was born. See, she already had an engagement ring and a wedding ring, which was all well and good, but as Earl tells it, he wanted somethin’ else to let Momma know that what they had, their love and their family they just started, it was forever.”

“For eternity,” said Zoe, visibly swallowing hard as she turned to look at Wade then. “It’s an eternity ring. My grandma had one. I always thought it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”

“Yeah, well, you are the most beautiful thing I ever saw,” Wade told her definitely, “but what I feel for you, Zoe, it is so much more than being attracted to how you look. I mean, I am attracted, you have no idea how much, but with you it’s... it’s just everything,” he said, fighting to remember the rest of what he knew he wanted to say.

“Zoe, from the day we met, maybe even before we ever actually saw each other that first time, I knew there was something about you. Since I known you, I have just fallen so totally in love with you, I barely know which way is up half the time, but I don’t care.

“You make me happy, Zoe. You make everything in my life better. You are beautiful, like I said, but you are also so smart and so kind and... and I just love you. When I told you a couple of weeks back that I could give up all other women if I could get the chance to be with you, I meant it, and even though I was pretty sure nothing could ever seriously happen between us, I still went ahead and did it. I told Tansy we were through, no more dates, no more nothin’. I told any girl that so much as flirted with me that nothing was ever gonna happen, because I only want you, Zoe. It’s like I said already, I love you.”

Honestly, Wade hadn’t been sure what reaction he expected to whatever speech he managed to make to her. He couldn’t think she would really be so shocked and amazed. Zoe had to know he loved her by now, he was pretty sure, and yet the way she was blinking at him in that moment, he figured maybe not.

“Wade, this is all so amazing,” she said at last. “I can’t even... I am so bowled over, and it’s not that I don’t... You know how I feel about you, but nothing’s really changed,” she said sadly, eyes dropping to her own stomach. 

“It’s not like I forgot about the baby, Zo,” Wade told her plainly. “She’s really making her presence felt of late,” he said, unable to miss the fact that Zoe was expanding at quite the rate these days.

“You have no idea,” she said with a giggle, reaching for his hand and placing it unceremoniously on her bump. “She even has an opinion on this, though I’m not sure how to translate.”

Wade was a little amazed, not only from her putting his hand on herself and all, but by what he could feel now it was there. Seemed the little one was kicking up a storm right there inside of Zoe, hard enough that he could feel it from the outside now.

“Wow. That is really somethin’.”

“It’s really some _one_ ,” Zoe corrected him, meeting his gaze. “That’s my daughter, Wade. Not your baby, not our baby, just mine,” she reminded him sadly.

“And I’m tryin’ to tell you, I don’t care, Zoe,” he told her, “or actually, I guess the point is that I do care.” Shaking his head, Wade refocused his mind before he went on. “Zoe, this ring, it’s for eternity, just like you said. I wanna be there for you _and_ your daughter. I wanna be everything the two of you need and then some,” he promised, leaning into her, meeting her eyes and not letting her look away, not this time. “I can do this, Zo, I know I can. Will you let me prove it to you, please?”

“Wade, please, don’t,” she urged him, a pleading in her voice and tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to make any promises that you can’t keep, or worse, that you’ll only end up regretting.”

“I couldn’t regret anythin’ about being with you, Zoe,” he promised her, desperate for her to understand how serious he was about this. “I know this is all big and scary, and I may not be the smartest guy, but I do get that what I’m sayin’ is a big deal, and I’m okay with that. Life is full of uncertainties, Zoe, but if you have one thing, just one thing that you know is true, you hold onto that. The one thing that I am sure of is that you are the love of my life, Zoe Hart, and that together we can handle anything, even a baby that isn’t exactly mine. So, would you please, please, just give us a chance?”

* * *

Tired as she usually was, Zoe didn’t always sleep so well. Mostly, it was just awkward trying to find a comfortable position with her ever-expanding belly and the baby sometimes deciding the nighttime was the best time to practice her soccer skills or just lie all over Zoe’s bladder. Tonight, was different. She couldn’t blame any part of her pregnancy for her sleepless hours. It was Wade that was on her mind this time and all the promises he had tried to make to her after her birthday dinner.

In the end, she couldn’t give him an answer, not right then. There was too much to think about, way too many variables that she needed to figure out in her mind first. By six a.m., Zoe had gone over everything so many times, she genuinely thought she was going insane. Pulling herself up to sitting in the bed, she reached out to the nightstand, flipped on the lamp and grabbed the two items it illuminated.

In her right hand, she held the sonogram picture of her daughter. In her left, sat the ring box Wade had presented her with. Zoe had been so sure that she could only have one or the other, that by deciding to commit to her baby, she just couldn’t commit to Wade, and certainly, that he would never want to even try to commit to her. Maybe she had been wrong about that.

A part of her gave serious consideration to talking it over with Harley, but in the end, Zoe knew this had to be her choice alone, no outside influences, because that wouldn’t be fair on anyone. She didn’t want to put pressure on Harley, she didn’t want to be unfair to Wade or herself, or the child growing inside of her.

“Can it be this simple?” she asked herself softly as she brought her hands closer together, the ring box ending up on top of the sonogram picture. “Do I really get the great guy and the baby too?”

Right on cue, the child inside her kicked out, twice.

“Two for yes, right?” Zoe laughed, knowing she was a fool if she let something like that make her choice for her.

The truth was, that wasn’t the reason why she threw back the covers and got out of bed then. It wasn’t why she quickly got herself dressed and hurried along to Harley’s room, tapping urgently on the door. Zoe had a good solid list of well thought out and reasoned arguments for why she was doing all of this, why she was apologising to her father and asking him if he would mind driving her over to the Kinsella place just as soon as possible.

Less than a half-hour later, she stood shaking from nerves and anticipation on the doorstep of the old shack, having assured Harley he could head back home, with sincere thanks for his help.

“I won’t ask you what answer you’re gonna give the boy,” he said said before he drove away, giving away the fact he had known very well what Wade’s plans had been last night, “but whatever it is, I wish you luck, honey.”

With those good and kind words ringing in her ears, Zoe knocked on Wade’s door and waited for some reply. It took a little while before suddenly he appeared, bleary-eyed and barely dressed, but nothing short of perfect to Zoe, or at the very least, perfect for her, she thought.

“Zoe?” he squinted at her as the rising sun behind her struck him in the face.

“Can I come in?” she asked urgently, rushing inside the moment he gave her room to do so. “I know it’s early, I’m sorry about that,” she gabbled. “Oh, is your dad...?” she checked, gesturing back to his room.

“No, Earl left for work already,” Wade explained, shaking his head and feeling more than a little turned around. “I never got to tellin’ you last night, but he quit drinkin’. I swear, I didn’t think it would stick, but it’s been a couple o’ weeks now and so far, so good.”

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Zoe noted, staring at Earl’s closed bedroom door.

Wade, in turn, stared at her, wondering quite seriously if he was having some kind of crazy dream. He opened his mouth to ask Zoe as much when she suddenly turned his way and started up talking again.

“So, I’ve been thinking a lot, all night, pretty much,” she explained. “I was thinking about you and everything you said, and also, about the baby and what that means. Did you know, she’s the size of a papaya, right now? A papaya!”

“Sweetheart, I don’t even know what a papaya is,” Wade told her, smiling in spite of everything as he sat himself down and gestured that she might like to do the same.

“Right. Well, it’s kind of this size,” Zoe explained, making gestures with her hands before sitting down beside him on the couch. “It’s not a really important detail right now, but it’s just to say that she’s real, you know? She’s pretty much a person now, and like I said last night, me and her, we’re kind of a package deal.”

“And I’m pretty sure I made it clear that I get that,” Wade reminded her. “That I’m ready for... all of it.”

“I know.” Zoe nodded. “And that’s why - after a lot of thinking - I came over here to... well, to give you a gift, for your birthday.”

Those words sure stunned Wade plenty and it must’ve showed on his face. After all, he figured she was there to talk about the gift he tried to give her for her own birthday just last night. It never even occurred to him she was about to bring up _his_ birthday which had been over two weeks ago now.

“I know, as birthday gifts go, it’s pretty late,” said Zoe then. “I just hope it’s not _too_ late.”

Wade waited a beat before asking, “Well, what is it?”

He was expecting a box or a gift bag or some such that Zoe was going to put into his hands. Wade was absolutely not expecting her to suddenly push herself into his personal space and plant her lips on his in the most amazing kiss. Honestly, the momentum of her unexpected passion almost knocked him on his back, but Wade managed to keep them both upright somehow. He also managed to get himself away from Zoe a little before things went any further.

“Zoe, you cannot keep doin’ this to me,” he told her desperately. “It’s not a gift, it’s torture.”

“But it doesn’t have to be, not anymore,” Zoe promised him, smiling widely as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the little box Wade had given her last night. “If you’re sure about this,” she said, proffering the ring at him. “About all of us,” she said pointedly.

“I’m sure,” Wade said definitely, no hesitation. “I’m real sure, Zoe. I love you.”

Zoe met his eyes and smiled. “And I love you, Wade. I really do.”

Wade barely managed to get the ring out of the box and onto her finger, he was shaking so bad, and then he was kissing Zoe and she was kissing him back, the world spinning out of focus in the best way.

“You know, when you showed up here this morning, I actually thought I was dreamin’,” he told her between kisses. “Now I know for sure, you are my dream come true, Zoe Hart.”

That earned him one of her brightest smiles as she pulled back to meet his eyes. “You are an amazing guy, Wade Kinsella,” she told him definitely, before leaning in to kiss him again and again, knowing for sure she made the best decision of her life today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s where we leave our happy couple until the new year. I always put my WIPs on hold for December to concentrate on Christmas stuff (both fic and RL) and I’m putting this one on hold a little sooner for two reasons. 1) I know I cannot finish this one properly by the end of the month but I think I can finish _New York State of Mind_ if I give it more attention, so that’s what I’m going to do. 2) This seemed like such a great Zade-y place to leave this one. Hope you approve and will come back in January 2021 for more :)


	28. Chapter 28

“Well, I don’t suppose I can really say that I’m surprised about any of this,” said Harley as Zoe and Wade stood before him, both grinning like fools. “After all, I have seen the two of you from the very start. Seemed pretty plain to me that somethin’ like this was gonna happen eventually. When Wade came on over a couple of days back, all but asking me permission to court my daughter like a gentleman, I knew I couldn’t say no.”

“You asked my father’s permission?” Zoe checked, wide-eyed as she looked at Wade.

“Hey, I didn’t know what I was doin’!” he protested, shaking his head. “I figured since with you and me it was pretty much serious relationship or bust, I oughta talk to Harley about it first. It just seemed like the thing to do, alright?”

He was rubbing the back of his neck and looking deep into the carpet by now, making Zoe feel awful. She was just so surprised to hear that Wade had been asking Harley’s permission to talk to her about them being together. It was as if he was going to propose or something, and as if they were living in the time of an Austen novel maybe. That said, Zoe realised very quickly that in a place like Bluebell, those kind of values and old traditions did still exist and Wade was just trying to do the right thing.

“I’m sorry,” she said, reaching for his hand and taking hold. “Honestly, Wade, I was just surprised is all. I think it’s sweet that you wanted Harley to know what was going on.”

Wade was at least smiling when he looked at her then. “You’re his baby girl, doc,” he said of Harley, shrugging his shoulders. “He only just got you into his life his ownself. Wasn’t so sure he was gonna be okay with me comin’ along and making claims or whatever.”

“You didn’t exactly happen along all of a sudden, Wade,” Harley reminded him with a smile. “Like I said, you two seemed to have some kind of connection right from the start. You forget, you actually met Zoe before I did.”

“Huh,” said Zoe herself. “I actually hadn’t thought about it, but that’s true. Without you, I might never have met Harley at all,” she reminded Wade, “or at least, it might’ve taken a lot longer.”

“It just might,” her father agreed. “I’m ashamed to say I was more than a little apprehensive about coming into your life, Zoe honey. I know you had a right to know the truth and I would never want you to think for a moment I wasn’t eager to meet you, but... well, you had a life and a family. Didn’t seem like you’d need an old fool like me comin’ along.”

“Seriously?” said Zoe, reaching out with her free hand to take hold of Harley’s own. “For such smart guys, you two can be really dumb sometimes,” she told them definitely, smiling even then. “I could not be more happy that you came to find me, Wade,” she told him before turning back to Harley, “and I could not be more happy to know my real dad. You two have changed my life so much. Nobody... nobody has ever loved me as much as you two.”

Her voice cracked before she hardly finished the sentence and certainly Zoe could not say anymore, not for a while. It really did mean the world to her, how much Harley and Wade cared for her. She wondered sometimes if she really deserved it. After all, she hadn’t always been the greatest person, and certainly, she doubted her judgement of men when it came to her last boyfriend. Still, she couldn’t say she exactly regretted being with Logan, no matter how much of an ass he turned out to be. Though her daughter wasn’t born yet, Zoe loved her already, as much as she loved Harley and Wade. Finally, it felt as if she was part of a real family and it was no bad feeling at all.

“Well, as much as I would love to stay here all day being happy as a clam for the two of you,” said Harley then, squeezing Zoe’s hand, “I do have to get myself over to the practice. Patients won’t see to themselves.”

“Damn it, is that the time already?” said Wade, noting the clock on the wall. “I’m supposed to be serving breakfast at the Rammer Jammer as of five minutes ago!” he said, getting up fast.

“Oh, you’re both going?” said Zoe, looking between them. “I mean, sure, you have jobs, it’s not like I don’t know that. Okay, so, I guess I’ll see you both later?” she checked.

“Count on it, doc,” Wade promised, leaning down to kiss her chastely, since Harley was watching. “I’ll be back around just as soon as I’m done with my shift. Sound good?”

“Very good,” she agreed, smiling up at him.

“And if you two would like to join me for lunch, I would be happy to take you both to the Butterstick around noon,” said Harley, pulling on his jacket and picking up his bag to go. “Seems to me the town at large may as well get used to the sight of us altogether as a family, since it seems it’s what y’all are bound and determined we’ll be,” he said with a smile.

“Does it freak you out, Harley?” asked Wade with a boyish grin. “Havin’ me as part of your family?”

“Nonsense, Wade,” he told him easily. “I mean no disrespect to Earl when I say this, but I couldn’t be more proud of you if you were my own son.”

He really could not have known quite what that meant to Wade, or maybe he did and perhaps that was the point. After all, Wade’s own dad hadn’t exactly played his role too well these past ten years, and with his mother gone and his brother having skipped town a while back, Wade didn’t exactly have a whole bunch of people to call family. Sure, he was building something with Zoe now, and her baby would be part of that too. He hadn’t really considered where Harley factored in until now, but he kind of liked knowing the old man wanted him as part of his family. It felt pretty good to Wade Kinsella.

* * *

“Oh my God! He gave you a ring?”

“Yes, but it’s not how it sounds,” Zoe insisted, before Katie’s voice got any higher and she jumped to any more conclusions. “It’s an eternity ring. Actually, it’s his _mother’s_ eternity ring, which is so beautiful and so special, but it’s not an engagement ring. For the record, I am _not_ getting married. That would be way too much right now.”

“I know, but seriously, an eternity ring?” Katie squealed. “Zoe, he wants to love you and be with you forever,” she insisted excitedly. “That’s amazing. I mean, no offence, but he’s not exactly just getting you in this arrangement.”

“That is true,” Zoe agreed easily. “Me and the kid, we are a package deal, but Wade swears he’s ready for that. As much as I love him, I really wasn’t so sure he realised what he was taking on, but he says he does, and after everything, I just can’t doubt him, I can’t.”

What she said was true. After all the thought she had given the situation, going over and over things in her head, Zoe realised that all those promises Wade had tried to make to her, he was already fulfilling every single one. When she needed somebody, he was always there. Yes, she turned to Harley a lot, but Wade was there too, to talk to her about things, comfort her when she was sad or worried, drive her places when she needed it. All the practical things and all the emotional things, in every way she could possibly need him, he was there. Zoe started to wonder if she hadn’t been using him in some way, and yet, she knew it wasn’t all about needing Wade, it was about wanting him in every possible way too.

“Zoe?”

“Sorry,” she apologised, realising she must have missed quite a bit of what Katie was saying. “I probably should’ve waited to call you. I barely slept last night from all the thinking and I got up early this morning. Between that and baby making her presence felt, I am wiped.”

A yawn overtook her then, as if to prove her point, and Zoe heard Katie sigh in her ear.

“I guess I can’t exactly push for more details when I know you need a nap,” she admitted. “Also, I have class in ten minutes, so I should probably be going anyway, but we will talk more about this. We need to set up a time to video chat or something, because I need to see that ring!” she said determinedly. “I want to see you too, I miss your face.”

“That’s... sweet, I think.” Zoe giggled. “We should absolutely do that, although internet in Bluebell can be a little crazy. We will figure something out though, I swear.”

They hung up soon after that and Zoe took the opportunity to head upstairs and lie down a while. Harley would be coming by in an of hour or so to take her and Wade to lunch, and she was pretty sure she would be going over to the Kinsella place later to tell Earl about their newfound relationship too. From the way Wade told it, he was likely to be the most thrilled of anybody to know they had decided to be together.

“I can’t exactly say I’m not thrilled too,” she said to herself, and partly to her baby as her hand rested gently on her ever-expanding bump.

With a smile on her lips, Zoe closed her eyes then and let sleep claim her for a while.

* * *

“Aww, so sweet,” said Zoe, grinning at her cell phone.

“Girl, you get any more messages on that thing, it’s gonna blow up or some such,” Wade declared, glancing at her before putting his eyes firmly back on the road. “Who you talkin’ to this time?”

“AB,” she told him happily. “I told her we were together now, obviously, and she said she’s very happy for us. Also, if we hadn’t actually become a couple by the time she came home for spring break she was going to declare us both, and I quote, ‘crazy pants’,” she said, laughing even as she said it.

“Yeah, that sounds like our Annabeth,” Wade agreed, turning off onto the side road and heading for home. “You tell Lemon about us too? ‘Cause she’ll have my hide if she’s last to know.”

“I did send a message,” said Zoe, nodding definitely. “She didn’t reply yet, which I guess is a little weird, but she could just be busy,” she considered, shutting off the phone at last and tossing it into her purse. “I also called Katie. I swear, she bounced off all four walls and the ceiling, she was so excited.”

“About you and me?” asked Wade curiously.

“Sure. She’s happy for us,” Zoe agreed, looking at him like she was confused. “What? She thinks you’re great.”

Wade scoffed at that, pulling up outside the house and putting the car into park. “This would be the same Katie who all but accused me of tryin’ to do somethin’ ungentlemanly to your unconscious self the first time we met?”

“Oh, come on!” Zoe rolled her eyes dramatically. “She didn’t know who you were and she was just looking out for me. Trust me, Wade, Katie likes you. You didn’t see the way she was practically drooling when we went back to Yale to pick up all my stuff last year?”

Wade gave that a moment’s consideration and then grinned. “Well, I guess I can see why she would be droolin’.”

Zoe laughed. “Bighead,” she told him, even as they both leaned over the gear shift and shared a kiss. “Okay, let’s go tell your dad the good news.”

“Speakin’ of hitting all four walls and the ceiling with excitement, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” said Wade with a look before they both disembarked from the car.

Meeting in front of the vehicle, Wade took a hold of Zoe’s hand and they walked up to the porch together. Before he could even get the front door open, Earl was there, eyeing them both with a smile on his face.

“Is it true? Been hearin’ rumours around town all day, but I won’t believe it ‘til you tell me it’s true,” he checked, looking from Wade to Zoe and back.

“Well, I don’t know what you heard,” said Zoe, as she raised up their joined hands, “but I think it might be true.”

The light glinted off the ring on her finger and Wade couldn’t help but smile as he was dragged into a hug by his father. Zoe was hauled in too, though Earl was awful careful about crushing the poor girl, citing her condition as a reason to be so.

“You come right in and sit yourself down, pretty girl,” he advised, ushering her into the house. “Now, Wade, you gotta take real good care of this one.”

“Yes, sir,” he agreed, following on inside. “That is the plan, old man. Take care o’ Zoe and the little one too.”

“It’s not all about you taking care of us,” said Zoe definitely. “You know we love you too, right? If you need us, we’re going to be here for you too, both of you,” she said as she looked from Wade to Earl. “We’re all going to be family, I guess, all five of us, with Harley too, obviously.”

“Absolutely.” Earl grinned at her. “Always did like Harley Wilkes. Now that Brick Breeland, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him!” he declared, before rushing off to the kitchen to fix some tea.

“Didn’t I tell you he’d go all-out nuts over this?” Wade said to Zoe, lifting her hand up off the table and marvelling once again at the sight of his mother’s ring there on her finger. “Hey, you mean what you said then, ‘bout us all bein’ family?”

“Obviously,” Zoe assured him. “I mean, Harley is my dad and this is my daughter by blood, but if you and me are going to do this-”

“Which we are,” Wade confirmed fast.

“Which we are,” she agreed, smiling widely, “then that makes you and Earl part of the family too. Unfortunately, it means you will probably have to deal with my mother sometimes too.”

Wade didn’t mean to make a face but it didn’t come easy. “You tell her yet?” he checked, unsure why he felt quite so nervous suddenly.

After all, Harley approved of him and Earl approved of Zoe, plus their friends all seemed pleased as punch for them. Nobody else’s opinion ought to matter, certainly not a woman who lied to Zoe her whole life about who her real daddy was.

“I left a message,” said Zoe softly. “Honestly, I was glad when she didn’t pick up the phone, not that I am in any way ashamed of you, Wade, please don’t think that,” she said fast. “If anything, it’s her I’m ashamed of. She’s never going to understand my life here, not any part of it.”

“She should,” Wade considered. “After all, she picked Harley to make a kid with once. Southern gentlemen clearly appeal to her too.”

“Ugh, please don’t put it like that,” Zoe winced. “I do not want to think about having the same kind of taste in men as my mother. Honestly, I’m much happier having things in common with Harley.”

“Well, I doubt you have the same taste in men as him,” Wade joked, making her laugh some more, something he was always happy to do.

Honestly, it was tough not to sit staring at Zoe every chance he got, just wondering at the fact he got to call her his girlfriend now, that he was going to be with her forever. That ought to be scary. There was a part of Wade that was just waiting to regret the commitment he had made to Zoe, but somehow, he didn’t really expect it to happen. He was just so damn sure about her and the future they were going to build together, baby and all. From here on out, them being together was just exactly how it was supposed to be.


	29. Chapter 29

“Come on now, Zo. Think it’s about time we were gettin’ you home to bed,” said Wade, standing up and holding out his hands to help her do the same. “That is the fifth time you yawned in the last couple o’ minutes,” he pointed out when she didn’t seem all that eager to move herself.

“I know,” she admitted with a sigh, placing her hands into his own and levering herself up from the chair, “but I don’t want to be tired,” she grumbled.

“I know, sweetheart, but that’s just the way it is when you’re toting a load like that,” Wade said of her bump even as he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “It’ll all be worth it in the end though, right?”

“Right.” Zoe beamed up at him, making no more fuss as they walked out to the car.

It really was amazing to her how much Wade could love not just her but her baby too. When he told her he wanted to be with her and promised to love her daughter as if she was his own, Zoe never really doubted him, but there was a voice somewhere inside her head that wouldn’t shut up, that said someday Wade was going to realise he made the wrong choice in being with her. So far, that hadn’t happened, and every day that passed, Zoe heard the voice less and less.

Nobody else seemed concerned about Zoe and Wade announcing they were a couple, in fact, the whole town were in celebratory mood from the moment they heard the news. Zoe was most glad to have Harley’s approval of her new relationship, and Earl too, obviously, but it didn’t hurt that just about every other person she came across wanted to congratulate her and be so confident that she and Wade would last.

“Zoe?” Wade was frowning at her when she looked at him then. “I know you’re tired and all, but you’re okay, right?”

“I’m fine, I promise,” she told him fast. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking too much. You know, everybody in Bluebell is so friendly and nice, but I did wonder what they would say when they found out about you and me. I don’t know, I just thought... well, you tying yourself to the city girl who showed up here pregnant by somebody else.”

“Hey, first off, you ain’t just some city girl, Zoe,” said Wade firmly as he opened up the car door for her to get in, “and second, you do know half this town reckon that baby’s mine in the first place, right?”

Zoe’s eyes went wide at that remark, but she had to hold on to the questions borne out of her shock until Wade ran around and climbed into the driver’s side of the car.

“How can they think that?” she checked. “How is that even possible? I mean, it’s _not_ possible. I was pregnant before I met you!”

“I know that and you know that,” he agreed, “but folks around here reckon maybe we was seein’ each other long before. Now, I have tried to tell them otherwise, but they’re not havin’ any of it. Like I said, it’s not everybody, but it’s a rumour goin’ around.”

“Well, it should _not_ be a rumour that’s going around,” Zoe insisted, moving to get back out of the car, until Wade stopped her.

“Hey, come on now. Does it matter so much?” he asked her in earnest. “Now, you and I both know that baby girl ain’t mine, but we also know that I’m gonna help you raise her as if she was. Does tellin’ just about everybody in town the truth of the matter until it actually sinks in matter so much to ya?”

Zoe opened her mouth to say that yes, it did matter, before realising quite quickly that it probably didn’t at all. As Wade said, it would take a lot of work to convince some people of the truth if they were stuck on their own tale, and at the end of the day, whether the baby Zoe carried was Wade’s child or someone else’s kid, the only father the little one would ever know was him.

Zoe heaved out a sigh. “This is a crazy town!” she declared without pause.

“Yes, ma’am, it is,” Wade chuckled, buckling his seat belt, as Zoe did the same, and starting up the car. “Wouldn’t wanna be any other place though.”

“I can’t exactly argue with that.” Zoe smiled as they headed for home. “I’m still trying to figure out why I’m so hot,” she said after a while.

“Some girls are just made that way, I guess.”

Zoe laughed. “Thank you for the flattery, but you know that’s not what I meant,” she said, rolling the car window down a little further and flapping her hands around. “I just seem to be sweating all the time. The book says that can be true at this stage of pregnancy, but this weather is so warm for February.”

“Not for ‘Bama it ain’t, sweetheart,” said Wade knowingly. “I guess you’d be doin’ better if the mercury dropped below 30, huh?”

“I’m not saying I love being cold either.” Zoe shook her head. “Trust me, you do not want to be out at night in New York in December without being really bundled up, and the snow creates havoc, but all there seems to be down here temperature-wise is hot and hotter.”

Wade glanced over to her then with a sympathetic expression. “I’ll get better, baby. I mean, sure, the weather will get hotter come summer time, but you won’t be pregnant by then, so that’ll help, right?”

“I really hope so.” Zoe sighed.

“Well, here’s a little good news for ya,” Wade told her then, clearly hoping to cheer her up. “I talked to George Tucker this morning. Seems whatever squabble he and Lemon had last week, it’s all fixed up. He wouldn’t tell me what happened exactly but the fightin’s all over from what he said.”

“That’s good. It was weird when Lemon didn’t answer my messages. I was starting to worry, and then when she said she and George had a fight...” 

“They go through this stuff sometimes,” Wade explained. “Reckon it’s rough on them, goin’ to different schools so far apart and everything, but hey, it’s all fixed now, and they both seem pleased as punch about you and me and all.”

“I can’t think of a reason why they shouldn’t be.” Zoe smiled at him. “It’s a shame we won’t see them for a while though. I miss Annabeth too. Spring Break is soooo far away.”

“It’s only a month or so, Zo,” said Wade, rolling his eyes. “Not exactly forever.”

“Well, sometimes, it feels like it,” she grumbled all the same, just as Wade pulled the car up outside of the Wilkes’ place.

Zoe couldn’t help but smile again as Wade hopped out of the car fast so he could come open the passenger door for her. Guys being gentlemanly wasn’t an entirely foreign concept to her, but with Wade, as with all the men in Bluebell, as far as she could tell, it was practically a crime not to be what might be considered old-fashioned in their gentlemanly ways. She didn’t hate it, even though as a modern woman maybe she should consider herself too independent and such to need to the help. In her current state especially, she just appreciated the attention.

“Thank you,” she said politely as Wade offered her a hand up out of the car. “Are you coming inside?” she asked then, standing very close. “Harley is working late tonight, so...”

“So...” Wade echoed, smiling widely as he seemed to realise what she meant by that.

That was confirmed when he leaned down and kissed her, taking Zoe’s breath away completely. She loved that kind of attention from him too and was happy to lead him up the porch steps into the house for more.

Zoe didn’t worry about what would happen when they were alone together like that. Wade was so strangely respectful for a guy that had had more than his fair share of ‘girlfriends’ already. He never really pushed his luck, to the point where he almost frustrated Zoe sometimes, but she supposed with her condition and with how much he loved her, it was just different to how he might behave with just any other random girl he picked up for a night of fun.

“Careful there, Zo,” Wade warned her when her eagerness to be close before they were barely through the front door almost sent them both sprawling. “To think I brought you home ‘cause you seemed tired.”

“I rallied.” Zoe grinned up at him, reaching up for another kiss.

They were giggling like kids and entangled like ardent lovers as they made their way into the living room. Zoe stretched out an arm to hit the lights and suddenly she was out of Wade’s arms and screaming like she just saw a ghost. Truth be told, she was equally as shocked by what she actually was seeing.

“Mom?” she gasped.

“Hello, sweetheart,” said Candice, rising from the couch. “I assume this is a friend of yours?” she said as she looked Wade over.

Zoe barely knew what to say or even what to think as Wade reminded Candice they had in fact met before, briefly, in the apartment in New York, when he came by to help Zoe collect her things. Zoe herself was suddenly feeling extremely wobbly and manoeuvred herself over to a chair seconds before her legs gave way.

“I don’t understand,” she said then, staring at her mother. “What are you doing here? How are you even in this house? And why were you sitting alone in the dark? That’s so creepy and weird!”

“I’m here to see you, Zoe,” said Candice, retaking her seat. “It’s been months and I’ve barely heard from you. I was concerned, and then, when I finally managed to get a hold of Harley to see what information I could get from him, he told me you were practically engaged to some country bumpkin-”

“Hey!” Wade interjected at the very same moment that Zoe did.

“No way, Mom. You do not get to come here and be judgmental about my life choices!” she said definitely. “My father, my _real_ father,” she emphasised, “comes from the South, from Bluebell, in case you forgot. He was good enough for you, and Wade is more than good enough for me.”

“He’s not the father of your child,” Candice pointed out, remarkably calmly in the circumstances. “Weren’t you the one to tell me how wrong it was to let another man raise a baby and pretend to be that child’s father?”

“Wade won’t be pretending anything,” Zoe shook her head. “Yes, he is going to be with me, and I know he will be everything my daughter needs him to be, but she will know the truth, Mom. I would never, ever put her through the pain that I went through!”

Zoe hated that she felt tears welling in her eyes, hated that a day that had gone so well, a night that could’ve been so beautiful was now ruined by her mother showing up out of the blue like this and still thinking she had the right to lay down the law. Zoe looked to Wade then, half for the comfort of knowing he was still there, half out of concern that he was so offended by her mother’s attitude he might not be there much longer.

“I should prob’ly head out,” he said, confirming Zoe’s fears. “You have all kinds of things to figure out, I know.”

“You don’t have to go,” she told him definitely, reaching for his hand. “You have as much right to be here as she does, more actually. I invited you in. Nobody invited _her_ ,” she said, not even sparing Candice a glance.

Wade found a small smile for Zoe as he crouched down by her chair and kissed her hand.

“Hey, I know where I’m welcome and who wants me around, don’t go worryin’ on that,” he promised her, “but you do need to talk to your mom. Was just the other day you were tellin’ me that yourself, now, wasn’t it?

Zoe sighed heavily. “Trust you to remember that now.”

Wade chuckled and moved to kiss her cheek this time. “You need me, you call me right up and I will be back here like lightning. Meantime, try not to get all stressed out with this stuff, okay? ‘S not good for you or the little one, right?”

“Right.” Zoe nodded, stealing one last kiss before watching Wade turn and walk away.

He even stopped to nod politely to ‘Mrs Hart’ before he left. That was just the kind of man Wade Kinsella was, Zoe thought, and there was no way in hell she was going to hear a word against him, not from anyone, especially not from her mother!

* * *

Wade leaned in through the open office doorway and then knocked his fist lightly on the doorjamb so as not to startle the doctor within.

“Hey, Harley,” he greeted the man when he finally looked up from his paperwork.

“Well, now, Wade, what can I do for you?” asked Harley with a smile, that expression changing very suddenly as a thought seemed to occur to him. “There’s nothing wrong is there? With Zoe, I mean?”

“No, sir. Nothing medical, anyhow,” Wade confirmed, coming further into the room. “I just thought you should know... well, maybe you already do, but Zoe’s momma was at the house when we got back from the Rammer Jammer just now,” he explained, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Situation was none too pretty when I left.”

“Oh,” Harley said sadly. “Well, thank you for letting me know about that. I confess, I did speak to Candice just the other day and she did mention something about hoping to come by and visit with Zoe. I told her she was welcome in my home, any time at all. I guess she took me rather literally.”

“I guess so,” said Wade, nodding his head and shifting awkwardly. “Seems to me now’s the time to start wondering if folks in big cities don’t got the right idea, you know, about locking up their houses when they ain’t home and all?”

Harley smiled slightly. “You know, Candice is not a monster, Wade. She’s Zoe’s mother, the person who raised her to be the wonderful young woman we both know and love in our own ways. I don’t have any ill will towards her. Without my having known her, there would be no Zoe.”

“And the world’d be worse off for it,” Wade admitted, sitting down heavily in the chair opposite Harley’s own. “Still, no offence to Zoe, or to your taste in womenfolk, doc, but I can’t think me and Mrs Hart are ever gonna get along.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t suppose she’ll be staying long,” said the doctor without pause. “I figure she just wants to clear the air with Zoe. No doubt they’ll both say a few things they don’t mean, and then hopefully a few more that they do, and come to some kind of understanding. I would hate for them to always be at odds. It’s no way for mother and daughter to go on,” he said thoughtfully.

Wade watched him pick up a file from his desk and move to replace it in the cabinet close by. The good doctor probably made a fine point, and honestly, Wade was sure it would be better if Zoe was getting along with her mother rather than always being mad at her. He knew for sure he would give anything to have his own momma back in his life again.

Of course, all the talk of parents and children got Wade to thinking on the one thing that bothered him most about Candice Hart.

“Hey, Harley?” he said then. “You don’t think... I mean, I’m pretty sure Zoe is set on stayin’ around here, she’s said it often enough. Still, it is clear as day what her momma thinks of her precious daughter being... Well, gettin’ close to someone like me. I just-”

“Wade,” Harley cut in, shaking his head. “Now, please, don’t you go worrying about that,” he insisted, perching on the corner of the desk and placing his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “I know how much you care about Zoe, and I see how much she cares about you. No doubt Candice will make her judgements, I’m afraid that is the way of her these days, from what I can tell, but please, son, have a little more faith in our girl than that. Zoe won’t be swayed by what her mother might think of you or Bluebell or anything else. She’s knows her own mind and she is strong-willed as they come, you know that.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Wade nodded and finally sound a smile for his friend. “I know it’s dumb to worry so much. It’s just, well, I never thought to find somebody like Zoe and now that we’re all set up like we are...”

“You’re afraid you’re going to lose her,” said Harley knowingly. “I really don’t think that’s going to happen, Wade. I promise you, I really don’t.”

Wade wanted to believe it too. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Zoe, because he did, with his life, but her mother was persuasive for a living, from the way Zoe told it. After all, they had known each other that much longer than anyone in Bluebell had known Zoe. It just bothered him.

Even after Wade told Harley he was feeling better and took himself off home. His mind was troubled for hours after, until finally, around midnight, the phone started to ring. Diving out of bed, Wade rushed to answer before the noise woke up Earl.

“Hello?”

“She’s gone.”

“Zoe?” he checked, not sure whether to be happy or concerned to hear her voice at such an hour. “You okay?”

“I’m... numb, mostly,” she admitted, sniffing some. “I just... It’s been a very long night, but I talked everything out with my mom. Maybe talked isn’t the right world. There was kind of a lot of yelling,” she admitted then sighed. “Anyway, she knows she did the wrong thing, keeping Harley and me apart. She even apologised for the names she called you, though I hardly think what she said really qualifies as giving us her blessing.”

“Do we really need that?” asked Wade curiously.

Zoe almost seemed to laugh in his ear then. “We really don’t,” she assured him. “The fact is, she doesn’t understand the life I’ve chosen here. She doesn’t understand me, and I’m actually starting to wonder if she ever did. That’s a weird thing to have to admit about my own mother.”

“I’m sorry, Zo.”

“I’m not,” she replied fast. “Frankly, I’m glad she talked to Harley and I’m glad she came here. We finally got to say all the things that needed to be said, and no, that doesn’t mean everything is fixed between us now. I don’t think it’ll ever be quite how it was before, it can’t be, but we’re okay. I feel like everything is going to be okay, you know?”

“Sounds good to me, sweetheart,” said Wade with a genuine smile as he heard her yawn on the other end of the line. “Seems to me you need to be getting some shut-eye now.”

“You’re not wrong,” Zoe agreed easily. “Goodnight, Wade. I love you.”

“Love you too, baby. Sweet dreams now,” he told her, as they ended their call.

Wade had a feeling he would sleep a lot easier having heard from Zoe. Like she said, it really did feel like everything was going to be okay now.


	30. Chapter 30

“Quick, put your hand here,” said Zoe fast, grabbing a hold of Wade’s hand and placing in on her swollen stomach. “Wait for it,” she said, the moment he opened his mouth to tell her he didn’t feel anything.

Truth was, he didn’t mean to feel weird about it, and maybe he wouldn’t have if they were at her house or his own home or whatever. Sure, there weren’t too many people in the Rammer Jammer since they weren’t officially open yet. Wade was just there to set up, along with a couple of other wait staff and a bartender, and Zoe had come along to spend a little time with him and stave off the boredom of being home alone while Harley did his rounds. She had been sat in a booth with a soda for a while as Wade moved around the tables, setting out salt and pepper shakers and menus and such. He got a real surprise when she suddenly appeared behind him and started putting his hands on her body all out of nowhere.

“Zoe, I don’t...” he began to say, just as something seemed to hit his hand with way more force than he ever could’ve expected. “Woah, that was...”

“You felt it, right? That’s her. That’s my baby girl,” said Zoe with the biggest grin on her face.

“That is amazing, Zo,” Wade told her truthfully. “Kinda weird, but amazing.”

“I know, right?” she laughed, seemingly happy enough to just stand there while Wade got the heck kicked out of his hand.

“Woah. She gonna be a soccer player or somethin’?” he asked then, pulling his hand away. “That’s a heck of a leg she has there.”

“Tell me about it. Sometimes she decides to do that inward instead of outward. Why do you think I have to pee so much sometimes?” Zoe rolled her eyes. “If she is a soccer player then my bladder is usually the ball.”

“Hey now,” said Wade then, crouching down some to address Zoe’s bump rather than her. “You be nice to your momma, okay? She’s doin’ her best out here.”

Zoe stopped laughing then, though the huge grin remained on her face.

“Thank you for that,” she said, putting her arms around him as he straightened up. “Always taking care of me, huh?”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Wade shrugged, kissing her lips. “’Course, I’m also here to work,” he told her, checking behind him to make sure neither the boss nor any workmates that might tell on him were paying them any mind. “Still, I guess I could take a break. We don’t open for another ten minutes and I’m pretty much done here anyhow,” he said of the tables all set and ready for customers.

Zoe led the way back to her booth and they slid into the seat together, Wade’s arm around her shoulders like the most natural thing in the world. Honestly, that was how it had felt almost from the beginning with the two of them, and though Wade was sure some guys might be a little weirded out by the whole pregnant thing, it never really bothered him.

Of course, at the start, it hadn’t been so obvious that Zoe was toting a kid around. Even when the two of them got serious, she wasn’t showing an awful lot. It was in the past month she really put on some serious weight in front. From what she told him, they were in the third trimester now, which was the real tough part for a woman. All the trials of being weighed down and the pain that could bring on. Plus, there seemed to be a lot of hormone-related stuff to come. There hadn’t been too many crying jags yet, but it was on the cards from what Zoe had been telling him. Wade so was not looking forward to that part.

“Wade? Are you even listening?” she asked him then, alerting him to the fact he had totally zoned out just staring at her.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he said, shaking himself out of a daze. “Uh, you say somethin’ about AB?”

“I did.” Zoe nodded. “I sent her a text while I was sitting here bored and she replied. We’ve been going back and forth for a while and she’s been telling me about some of her new classes this semester. Sounds like she’s having a great time over at Auburn.”

“Well, that’s good, right?” asked Wade carefully, wondering if he missed some important detail when he wasn’t entirely paying attention before.

“Sure, it’s good for AB,” said Zoe pointedly. “It’s just... well, it was supposed to be good for me too. What I mean is, I was supposed to be in college, at Yale, right now and for two more years after that.”

“Sure, I know that,” Wade agreed, “but then junior here came along, so plans changed, right? I mean, I know you still wanna do the whole doctorin’ thing just like your daddy somehow, but... well, I gotta be honest, Zo, I got no idea how that all works,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t you have to go to school a whole lot to be a doctor?”

“Four years of college, another four of medical school,” Zoe confirmed, nodding her head, “then a residency programme. It is a lot, and sometimes I think, all of that plus a kid, it’s just going to be too much, you know?”

Wade watched her expression as she stared at the cell phone in her hands and sighed. He really wasn’t sure whether Zoe was looking for him to agree with what she just said or fight her on it. Honestly, he wasn’t so good at giving advice or anything in the first place. All he knew was he wanted Zoe to be happy, no matter what it took, so he figured maybe that was just the best thing to tell her right now.

“Look, Zoe, I know you had your heart set on bein’ a supersonic space surgeon or whatever it is the great Dr Ethan Hart does for a living,” he said, not at all offended when she laughed at the way he phrased himself. “And now, you say maybe you could be like Harley and work at the practice here in Bluebell and all. On top o’ that, you got your little girl to think about, and sure, I get that it’s all kinds of complicated figuring out a path through all of that stuff. But here’s the thing, Zoe Hart, no matter what you wanna do, whatever path you choose to walk, I am gonna be right there with you, supporting you any damn way I can. You get that?”

It was supposed to be a good thing. The smile that was back on Zoe’s face when she looked at him then made Wade believe maybe he had said the right words, but the tears in her eyes all but slayed him.

“Thank you,” she said softly, visibly swallowing hard and clearly struggling to say more for a few seconds. “Seriously, Wade, you have no idea... It means everything to me that you just-, that you would just do anything to make me happy.”

“Like I said, Zoe,” he told her, leaning over to gently kiss her lips, “‘s what I’m here for,” he repeated, just a call went up and Wade was summoned back to work - after all, it was opening time.

“Go,” Zoe told him, when he knew he looked regretful about having to. “I’m fine, I promise.”

Wade nodded his agreement, stole one more quick kiss, then went rushing off to earn his pay. Zoe watched him hurry across the Rammer Jammer and found herself laughing and crying at the same time. He really was the best guy in the world. Well, actually he and Harley were the two best guys in the world, and in very different ways when it came to loving Zoe Hart.

She could not be more grateful for the way her father took on his role in her life without pause, despite the fact they had met each other so late. Still, when it came to Wade, Zoe was even more bowled over by his love and commitment. After all, he didn’t owe her anything, he didn’t have to do it, he just did.

“I don’t know what we did to deserve him,” she said, one hand moving gently back and forth over her bump, “but I’m so glad we found him... or that he found us, I guess,” she said thoughtfully.

When the little one kicked out against her hand, Zoe took it as agreement. She couldn’t doubt that her baby was going to love Wade or that he would love her just the same. It was kind of amazing knowing that, but for all that she was sure of the man in her life and the baby they planned to raise together, there were still an awful lot of unknowns to consider.

As her cell beeped in her hand, Zoe looked down at Annabeth’s latest message and smiled a sad smile. College was on hold until at least September, and even then, Zoe wondered what she could feasibly do about it. She would be the mother of a three-month-old by then, living in Bluebell, Alabama, with Harley and Wade to help and support her, but that didn’t answer the question of college in any way. There was no way she was going back to Yale, it just made no sense.

“They have colleges in Alabama,” Zoe considered aloud, thinking immediately of Auburn where Annabeth was completing her courses. “There have to be others...”

The next moment, she was up out of the booth and waddling as fast as she could towards the door. She didn’t even realise Wade had noticed her going by until he called her name.

“Where’s the fire, sweetheart?” he checked, looking concerned about her being in such a hurry to leave.

“I’m fine, I promise,” she swore, finding him a smile. “I just... I have some things to do at home.”

“You can’t walk all that way,” he insisted. “Hold on a sec, let me talk to Wally, see if I can’t skip out and drive you.”

“No, Wade, you can’t just-” she tried to tell him, only for another voice to cut in.

“I could drive you.”

Zoe turned to see who was there, absolutely sure she had just imagined the offer she thought she had heard when she saw who must have made it. Shaking her head and belatedly realising her mouth was hanging open, Zoe sputtered some, not even managing to form a sentence before Wade got in before her.

“Uh, Tansy, you don’t have to...”

“Maybe I want to, Wade Kinsella,” his ex snapped at him, arms folded across her chest as she looked from him to Zoe. “Look, I’m headin’ out now, so either you want the ride or you don’t,” she said snippily, “but I’m offerin’ to help you out so the guy who plans on helping you raise that baby doesn’t lose the job that earns him most of his cash.”

She sounded so hostile for a woman offering to do a person a favour, but Zoe couldn’t really believe she was going to come to any harm if she got into a car with Tansy. Wade’s ex was pissed at Zoe when he chose her instead, but Wade himself had explained she was in no way violent or dangerous. Tansy Truitt wouldn’t hurt a fly, far as he knew, at least, not so long as you never insulted her brothers within her earshot.

“Prob’ly best I don’t skip out so soon into my shift,” said Wade, looking sideways at Zoe. “You okay goin’ with her?” he checked.

Tansy scoffed before Zoe could answer. “Like I’m not a better driver than you, Wade Kinsella,” she said pointedly.

“Actually, she probably is,” he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Then I guess I’m getting a ride with Tansy,” said Zoe, feeling a little weird just saying it. “I’ll see you later,” she told Wade, moving to kiss him goodbye then thinking better of it as Tansy glared a little, and playfully punching him in the arm instead as she walked away.

Outside the Rammer Jammer, Zoe tried and failed to keep up with Tansy who strutted away towards her car with a purpose. She had the vehicle unlocked and was waiting with the passenger side door held wide open when Zoe got there.

“Thank you so much for this, Tansy. I really appreciate it,” she said honestly, manoeuvring herself into the seat.

Tansy didn’t say anything, just closed the door behind her and then moved around to climb into the driver’s side. She pulled on her belt, glanced over to check Zoe had buckled herself, then put the key in the ignition to start the car. Just when Zoe was sure they were about to start moving, Tansy turned the engine back off again and heaved a huge sigh.

“I don’t hate you, okay?” she said then, turning a little in her seat to look at Zoe. “I didn’t like it much when Wade dumped me over you but... well, I guess that wasn’t entirely your fault, and I wouldn’t ever wanna stand in the way of a kid havin’ his momma and daddy together. You should know, I had no idea you were havin’ Wade’s baby when we were-”

“Tansy, no,” Zoe said fast, shaking her head. “Wade is not... I mean, he’s going to help me raise my baby, but he and I, we hadn’t even met when this happened,” she said, gesturing to her pregnant belly. “Wade’s not the father,” she repeated, in case it wasn’t clear. “But he is going to be the dad, if you see what I mean.”

Tansy seemed to need a minute to process that and Zoe couldn’t blame her. Seemed as if Wade’s ex was one of those people in town just completely convinced that Zoe and Wade were together because of a baby they made together, never mind the fact that was wholly untrue. Of course, she figured he had a point about not bothering to go over and over it with any person who chose to believe their own theory, but when it came to Tansy, given the circumstances, Zoe felt it better to make sure she knew the whole truth, and believed it too, if possible.

“Wow,” she said eventually. “I never thought... I mean, no girl in this town could ever get Wade to commit to as much as a second date before now, not for anything,” she said, shaking her head, eyes wide with wonderment. “Now, you’re tellin’ me he gave up his wanderin’ ways for you and for a kid that ain’t even his own? That is... Well, I guess he really is in love with you, huh?”

“I hope so” Zoe told her with a smile, not really noticing that she was spinning her eternity ring around and around on her finger until she saw Tansy looking at the motion. “He says he loves me and seems pretty determined to prove it all the time. I know I love him, and if I could tell you how that happened, on either side, Tansy, then I would, but I really have no idea,” she confessed. “It’s just this weird thing that happened. Wade walked into my life and things just started changing left and right, in so many ways, I can’t even begin to count. All I know for sure is that we love each other and that’s just it.”

Tansy nodded in some kind of understanding and then even smiled a little too.

“I hope things work out for you two... or three, I guess,” she said, glancing down at the very noticeable bump between them. “Everything’s okay with that, right? Sorry, I don’t know whether he’s a he or she’s a she.”

“She’s a she,” Zoe explained, “and yes, thank you, everything is fine. We had our 28-week appointment the other day and all is as it should be.”

“That’s good,” said Tansy, nodding once. “I do mean that.”

“I know,” said Zoe easily. “So, not to be a pain, but you were going to drive me home and since I have bladder control issues lately, it’s probably better for your interiors if we go now.”

“Oh, right, sure,” Tansy agreed, shaking herself into action.

Zoe sat watching her for a moment as she got the car into gear, checked all was clear, and then drove out of the Rammer Jammer parking lot, headed for the Wilkes place. If anybody had asked her a month ago, even a week ago, if she could see a time when she and Tansy were friends, Zoe would have called that person crazy. After all, Tansy was the girl Wade dumped in order to be with Zoe herself, but it seemed that Ms Truitt was more than capable of being mature about these things if she set her mind to it. Zoe wasn’t sure why she was surprised by that. After all, she was having to grow up very quickly herself, making huge decisions, adjusting to the fact she would be a mother around three months from now.

“Ah!” Zoe winced then, her hand going immediately to her stomach.

“Oh my... Are you okay?” Tansy asked fast, eyes flying from the road to Zoe and back within a second. “Do I need to pull over?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” Zoe promised. “It’s normal, she’s just moving around a lot today,” she said of the baby. “Sometimes she kicks me somewhere painful, that’s all. No problem. You know, I’m really grateful to you, Tansy. Not just for the ride home, though obviously, that’s very kind,” she explained. “You have every reason to be mad at me over Wade.”

“You didn’t ask him to date me when he was obviously already in love with you.” Tansy sighed, concentrating on the road as she turned the next corner. “And you didn’t ask him to dump me either. He did that all by himself, and yes, I am still mad at _him_ for what he did,” she said, finally arriving outside of the Wilkes house and parking the car up. “But like I said, none of it was your fault, Zoe Hart. I see that now.”

“Well, thanks anyway.” Zoe smiled. “Right now, I could use all the friends I can get. The ones I had in New York... I really haven’t talked to any of them since I moved here. My dorm mate at Yale, Katie, she keeps in touch, but she’s such a long way away, and even the people who live here, like AB and Lemon and George, they’re in college most of the time. I know it’ll be spring break soon, but that only lasts so long anyway.”

“You need somebody to talk to, you can call on me,” Tansy told her then, seemingly surprising herself as much as anyone. “I mean, I don’t know so much about babies, and I sure as heck ain’t as smart as you, with your goin’ to college and wantin’ to be a doctor and all but, you know, if you needed another woman to talk to...”

“Thank you, Tansy. Again,” said Zoe with a chuckle. “Seriously, I really appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Tansy shrugged. “We should get you inside.”

She hopped out of the car then and was soon at the passenger side, opening the door up for Zoe and offering her a hand out. For what felt like the hundredth time in a few moments, Zoe thanked her newest friend, and then waited outside to wave to her when she drove away. It was nice to have friendly neighbours and everything, something that Zoe never could’ve imagined when she was living in a New York apartment. Her life really had changed so much in the last few months.

“And it’s not done yet,” she said to herself, turning towards the porch steps and bracing herself for the climb.

Sure, she had to go to the bathroom before she did anything else, she had not been lying to Tansy about that, but then Zoe had other plans, potentially big plans. Life wasn’t going to wait for her while she procrastinated, that was for certain. Time to get a jumpstart on what came next.


	31. Chapter 31

“Well, I’ll admit, I did wonder what had you so busy these past few days, honey, but I could not have imagined all this,” said Harley, eyes wide as he stared at the papers spread across the dining room table.

“I know, it all got a little out of hand,” Zoe admitted, blowing her hair off her forehead, “but I had some seriously big decisions to make, and now... well, I think I’ve almost made them, so I wanted to share with you.”

“You go right ahead, sweetheart,” her father said with a kind smile as he sat down beside her. “I’m assuming this as much about your career as it is motherhood?”

“Absolutely.” Zoe nodded, eager to begin explaining herself, and at the same time, just a little nervous about it.

After all, this was her whole life she was plotting out, all across her father’s table, and now she had to tell him all these plans and hope he approved. If he didn’t, well, there was a chance she could make it work without his support, but Zoe really hoped she didn’t have to try.

College was expensive, it didn’t take a genius to know that, and then there was medical school. When she was living in New York and attending Yale and everything, her mom had it covered. Now, with Zoe’s new plans, she wasn’t absolutely sure where all the money was going to come from yet. Besides, if Harley hated the idea of what Zoe wanted to do with regards her education, as well as raising her baby, she wasn’t entirely sure how she would deal with his disapproval either.

“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “So, the original plan - back before babies and Bluebell - was to go to Yale and then onto med school, probably Johns Hopkins, then residency in the city. Of course, everything is different now. It has to be, but also, I _want_ it to be,” she clarified. “Now, I’m here and I want to be in Alabama, which believe me, kind of surprises me, even now. Not that I don’t love being where you are, and where Wade is, obviously, but it is so different to my life before.”

“I know it’s been quite the adjustment for you, sweetheart.” Harley nodded in agreement. “But I happen to think you’ve settled in awful well in these past few months, and you know, I do love having you here. Of course, if you’re wanting to go off to college, I do understand that too.”

“And I do,” Zoe confirmed, “but obviously, the best choice for school is going to be closer to home. Closer to you and Wade and my friends, plus with the baby to consider, I’m going to need my support network more than ever. So, I’ve been looking into this a lot...”

Pushing a document across the table towards Harley, she watched his eyes go wide when he realised it was a brochure for a place he knew very well.

“University of Alabama,” he said, blinking at her. “Well, that’s a fine school, Zoe. You know, I went there myself many years ago, for college and then onto UAB for my medical training.”

“I know,” she said, smiling at him, “and I’m thinking maybe I could follow in your footsteps? I mean, if they’d take me-”

“Oh, honey, you got into an Ivy League college! I’m sure UA would be more than happy to have you, especially knowing you wanna stay within their remit for the whole eight years.”

“Well, seven,” Zoe corrected him. “I already completed my Freshman year at Yale and got all my credits, so I could start at Alabama as a Sophomore. I know this Fall probably seems too soon, and you’re probably wondering how the baby fits into all this.”

“I’m sure you have that all figured out, Zoe,” Harley said knowingly and with that same kind, fatherly smile she had come to love so quickly, “and if not, well, I am just bound and determined to help you with it all,” he promised.

“I was hoping you might say that,” she told him, with a sigh of real relief. “There are one or two trickier parts to all this, but I do have most of a plan, and I’m hoping you’ll help me finalise it, because... because I still have to pitch it to Wade,” she said then, faltering just a little, “and I’m not 100% sure how he’s going to take it.”

* * *

“Look at you, gettin’ all spruced up for your girlfriend.” Earl grinned, watching from the doorway as Wade fixed his hair and checked himself over in the mirror in general.

“I want your thoughts on anythin’, old man, I’ll just go ahead and ask, alright?” Wade replied, though he was smiling when he said it and there was no real malice in his tone.

Truth to say, it was nice to hear his dad say anything at all without a slur in his voice nor tears either. It wasn’t that Wade didn’t want to believe old Earl when he told him, several months ago now, that he would get up on the wagon and stay there, it was just that he had heard it a few times and it never did stick before.

There were a few tricky days between then and now, that was for sure, but the old man sure had done his best to stick to his promise. Wade couldn’t be more proud, or more grateful to his dad. It certainly took some pressure off, allowing him to spend more time being there for Zoe just as much as she wanted and needed.

“You know, the way you have stepped up for that pretty young woman,” said Earl then, appearing at Wade’s side and turning him to face him. “Makes me awful proud, son, and I know... well, I know your momma would say exactly the same, if she were here.”

Wade swallowed hard so he could answer that. “Thanks, Dad,” he said, patting his father on the shoulder, before turning away to grab his wallet and keys. “Uh, so, I’m goin’ over to the Wilkes house for a while. We’ll prob’ly stay there, since Zoe gets too tired for much in the way of goin’ out these days. You need anythin’, you just call us there, alright?”

“I’m pretty sure I can look after myself for a few hours,” said Earl, rounding the sofa and dropping down onto it. “Just gonna watch myself a little TV, take the weight off my feet after a long week o’ workin’.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Wade smiled, watching his father get comfortable with the remote in one hand and no sign of a bottle near the other.

It was still a real nice sight to behold. Of course, nothing was quite as nice to his eyes as Miss Zoe Hart and if he didn’t get himself moving, he was going to be late and have her worrying on where he got to. Shaking his head, Wade headed for the door, calling a cheery goodnight to Earl as he set off at last.

Driving over to the Wilkes house, he smiled as the radio switched songs and Willie Nelson crooned ‘Always on my Mind.’ When it came to Zoe, Wade had to admit, she really was in his thoughts more often than she wasn’t, though of course, he didn’t have to worry about her not knowing how much he cared, because he was sure to tell her just as often as he could.

Besides, when she needed him, he was always there and determined to be so. It was something to realise that she also wanted him around. Wade hadn’t had too much of that in his life. Sure, girls liked him and all, and he liked them, but this was so different. Honestly, Wade had been waiting for the day when he woke up and realised maybe he had made a big mistake, pledging himself to a woman like Zoe and a baby that wasn’t even his responsibility nor his blood kin, but it never happened.

“Guess this really is that true love thing all those folks sing about,” he said to himself as he pulled the car up outside Zoe’s home and saw her face smiling at him from the window. “Yep, reckon that’s just exactly what it is,” he muttered, unable to keep from grinning back and offering a wave too.

Two minutes later he was out of the car, up the porch steps, and in through the front door, pulling his girlfriend into his arms and kissing her soundly.

“Hey,” she said breathlessly as they parted.

“Hey, yourself, sweetheart,” he replied, pushing her hair back from her face. “How come you get more beautiful every time I see you?”

“Um, because you need to see an eye doctor?” Zoe suggested. “Trust me, I do not feel beautiful today,” she said with a sigh, pulling out of his arms. “My ankles are the size of tree trunks for a start and I can’t seem to get more than a few feet without running out of breath. It’s exhausting being pregnant.”

“If I could make it easier for you, baby, you know I would,” Wade sympathised as he followed her to the couch and they sat down together, “but I meant what I said. You are beautiful, no matter how much pressure all this stuff is putting on you.”

“And you are incredibly sweet,” she said, smiling widely, “and since I know that’s not something guys usually want to be told, I’ll also add that you’re incredibly hot too, okay?”

“I can live with that,” Wade assured her, grinning as much as she was as he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “So, I guess we’re staying in tonight, huh? I mean, I figured you wouldn’t exactly be in a going out kind of a mood anyway, but you just confirmed that one for me.”

“Definitely a staying in kind of night. That’s okay, right?” she checked, looking up at him with something like concern in her eyes.

“That is a stupid question, Zoe,” he told her in no uncertain terms. “Anywhere is okay by me if you’re here,” he swore, kissing her lips this time, something she was not quick to argue about.

“Hmm, as great as this is,” she said after a while, “I did also need to talk to you about some stuff. Some serious stuff,” she explained.

“Serious like something wrong with you or the baby serious?” he checked, sure he must look as panicked as he felt when his heart took to hammering in his chest.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Zoe promised. “Sorry, when I said serious, I never thought you would assume that. This is more future plans serious. You and me and the baby and what happens next, you know?”

“Sure.” Wade nodded. “I mean, we should prob’ly talk about that. I’ve been meanin’ to bring it up myself but... well, I wasn’t so sure where to start. Besides, much as I wanna be here for you and the little one, a lot of stuff has to be your decision. You’re the one who’s pregnant after all, and she is your baby.”

“That’s true,” said Zoe, nodding her head, “but you know any decisions about her will be both of ours, right? I want you to be as involved as you want to be. We’re forever, Wade, all three of us. That’s what this means, right?” she checked, indicating the eternity ring there on her finger.

Wade smiled, taking her left hand in his and kissing her ring finger. “That’s what it means,” he assured her. “Still, I didn’t wanna step on your toes or anything, so I was kinda waiting for you to say something first.”

“Well, that works out, because here I am, saying something first.” Zoe smiled, though she looked kind of nervous yet.

She pulled herself to sit up straight then and cleared her throat as if she was about to recite the pledge of allegiance or some such. Wade might’ve been less surprised if she had, truth be told.

“So, I’ve been thinking a lot about the future, with you and the baby, obviously, but also my education, my career as a doctor. You know I still want to pursue that, right?”

Wade looked at her like that was the dumbest question in the world, mostly because it was, and then watched Zoe wave it away before going on.

“So, I plan to be a doctor someday. Not a surgeon, that was pretty much a whole other life, and since I’ve met Harley and spent time at the practice, I would really love to be a GP. Now, that’s a lot of work. It’s four years of regular college, then four years of medical school, and then more training on top of that, although I could do a lot of the training part here, with Harley and Brick, when I get to that point. It’s kind of the remaining seven years of actual school that need figuring out, and I think I have a plan.”

She eyed him warily, as if she expected Wade to jump in at any moment and derail that plan she was talking about. He really did not want to do that and hoped not to have to. Until he heard some more of what Zoe had to say, he couldn’t exactly give an opinion anyway.

“The University of Alabama is in Tuscaloosa, that’s just a four-hour drive from Bluebell. They also have a School of Medicine over in Birmingham, which is an hour from Tuscaloosa, but still only four hours away from here. It’s a heck of a lot closer than Yale, that’s for sure. Harley seems to think we can figure out actually getting me enrolled for the Fall semester, and then I could attend classes from September. I already completed Freshman year, so it would be three more at UA itself and then four at UAB in Birmingham, like I said.”

Wade watched her closely and listened intently even when she seemed to have run out of words. Truthfully, he was expecting her to say a little more and just assumed she was thinking on what came next. Seemed maybe not when she prompted him to speak up instead.

“Please, say something,” she urged him.

“Not sure what it is you wanna hear, sweetheart,” he told her honestly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, this all sounds great, you being so much closer than you would be at your old school and everything, but I guess I’m wondering where the little one fits into all this. I figure you won’t be takin’ her to classes and such?”

“No, obviously not,” Zoe agreed. “She would need to be taken care of, plus while Harley would be paying for college, there would be rent and essentials that we would have to cover. I mean, right now I’m assuming it’s we?” she said, her voice growing quieter than Wade was accustomed to. “Okay, I know I’m asking a lot,” she said then, taking hold of one of his hands in both of her own, “but Wade, if we can make this work, and I think we can, it could be so good. Just think, you and me, in our own place in Tuscaloosa. There’s a lot of good housing near to campus that’s not so expensive, and you could get jobs just as easy there as you do here, you know, waiting tables or handyman stuff. They might even pay better since it’s a bigger place. Obviously, I would work too, as much as I could around school, and we’d have to share the childcare, and when we were both busy, we would need a reliable day-care, but I’ve been looking into that too, and I’ve found a lot of great options.”

She seemed to run out of air somewhere towards the end of her speech and sucked in a large breath when she was done. Zoe’s eyes met Wade’s own gaze and she looked altogether frightened of what he was going to say in response to her plans. He really wished she wouldn’t.

“Well, that is a lot to take in, Zo,” he told her eventually, “and I don’t know how it’ll work exactly, but I figure, it’s you and me, so somehow we’ll just make it be how it’s meant to be, right?”

“Really?”

“C’mon, Zoe, you know how much I love you, what you and this kid mean to me. Didn’t I make that clear enough already?” he asked, showing her the ring on her finger that she had mentioned herself a short while back, the symbol of that love and devotion he spoke of. “Now, I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy, or that I ever much considered the idea of leavin’ Bluebell to live in Tuscaloosa or Birmingham for years on end, _but_ ,” he added fast before Zoe could cut in, “I don’t mind doin’ it. For you, I will. For our future and this kid we’re gonna raise together, ‘cause it’s gotta all be worth it in the end, right?”

“I think so,” said Zoe, nodding her head, sending tears rolling down her cheeks even as she smiled. “You are an amazing man, Wade Kinsella,” she said definitely, throwing her arms around him.

He hugged her back without hesitation. “Yeah, well, that’s probably how I got an amazing woman like you, Zoe Hart.”


	32. Chapter 32

“I’m not saying it’s her fault, Annabeth, I am simply saying, if Zoe didn’t have to visit the bathroom quite so much, we might actually get to hear some more of her exciting news without dying of curiosity in the in-between time!” Lemon was explaining as Zoe returned to the living room.

“I am so sorry,” she apologised, manoeuvring herself down into the armchair. “Seriously, Lemon, trust me, nobody is as sick of the stupid number of bathroom visits than me.”

“Oh, you must be havin’ such a hard time of it all,” Annabeth sympathised. “I mean, a baby of your own, I have to admit, the idea sounds appealing as a future plan, but at this time in your life? It’s all so complicated.”

“You’re not kidding.” Zoe rolled her eyes. “But we’re making it work. As I was saying, the plan is for me to go to UA and then on to medical school after that. It’ll mean me and Wade being in Tuscaloosa for a large part of the year, but at least we’ll have each other, right?”

“It sounds like you have things all figured out, Zoe Hart,” said Lemon, taking a long sip of her iced tea. “You know, most people will tell you they never thought they would see a day when Wade Kinsella would step up to his responsibilities in such a way, or more accurately, to some other man’s responsibilities,” she noted, “but I knew.”

“You knew?” Annabeth echoed, eyes wide with surprise.

“Yes, AB, I most certainly did. Now, I know Wade seems wild and easy in his ways with women, but ever since we were kids, he has never once been bad or vicious, just rambunctious, and hit so hard by his mother’s passing, of course. I always thought someday he would rise above his upbringing and have a life as big as his heart. I believe that he deserves better than he has had to endure, and I also believe that, with you, Zoe Hart, he has found true love and can finally build that life he’s supposed to have.”

“Oh, Lemon,” said Annabeth, waving her hand in front of her face. “That was beautiful.”

“It really was,” Zoe agreed, crying horribly. “Why would you be so nice like that when you know how bad my hormones are?” she asked, reaching for the box on the coffee table.

Lemon apologised as she handed her friend the tissues. Of course, she hadn’t meant to cause an upset, Zoe knew that as well as anyone. Not that Lemon wasn’t fully capable of cutting people down to size and reducing them to tears at a moment’s notice if she wanted to be cruel, but this was all kindness and truth. She just wanted Zoe to know how glad she was that she and Wade had found each other.

“You’re gonna make such a sweet family.” AB smiled, even as she dabbed at her own eyes. “I can’t imagine a cuter picture than you and Wade and a tiny little baby girl to raise up between you.”

“Of course, I suppose you’ll be waitin’ until after the baby comes to have the wedding,” Lemon mused then, taking another sip of her tea. “I don’t suppose anybody will say too much about that. After all, both those that believe Wade is the baby’s father and those that think otherwise seem to be very accepting of the whole unconventional situation.”

Zoe had been taking a drink from her own glass then and suddenly started choking right around the word ‘wedding’ being spoken. Annabeth tried to aid and comfort her until she got her breath back and stared wide-eyed at Lemon.

“Hold on a second, nobody said wedding,” she told her definitely. “I mean, me and Wade, we plan to live together and raise this baby, but nobody ever, _ever_ said anything about getting married.”

“Well, my dear Zoe.” Lemon shook her head, a burst of incredulous laughter escaping her lips. “You don’t really intend to build a life like this without the foundation of a good solid marriage contract?”

“Uh, yeah, I do,” her friend told her easily. “I am twenty years old, Lemon, with a baby on the way and a career to build. Not to mention a father I never even knew existed a year ago, and basically a whole new life I was not expecting,” she listed off easily. “I am so not in a place where I would even think about getting married. Frankly, I’m not sure if I ever will be.”

“Oh, Zoe!” Annabeth gasped. “You don’t mean that. Marriage is a fine institution.”

“And as the old saying goes, ‘Who wants to live in an institution?’” said Zoe without pause. “I saw my parents... my mom and Ethan’s marriage fall apart, not to mention so many of Mom’s friends’ marriages and my friends’ parents’ marriages. Come on, Lemon, even your parents.”

Immediately the words were spoken, Zoe regretted them as she watched her friend’s face fall. She hadn’t meant to do that, but what she said was true enough. So many marriages ended in divorce, there was no way she planned on being just another sad statistic.

A knock on the door caught the attention of all three girls then.

“Well, no doubt that will be George Tucker, come to pick me up for our date,” said Lemon, rising from the sofa. “I’ll leave you two ladies to continue your very interesting discussions,” she said, forcing a smile as she turned to leave.

“Lemon, I didn’t-”

“It’s quite alright, Zoe Hart,” Lemon assured her. “Really, what did you say that wasn’t true? Now, you take care of yourself and that little one,” she said, coming back into the room to lean over Zoe and give her a brief hug and air-kisses. “I’ll see you again before break is over, I’m sure.”

The next moment she was gone and Zoe heaved a sigh. “I really didn’t mean to upset her.”

“She’ll get over it,” Annabeth assured her. “An afternoon with George Tucker will perk her spirits right up, if you know what I mean,” she said with a wink.

Zoe laughed a little too loudly then covered her mouth with her hand. “AB, you would never have said that in front of Lemon.”

“You’re right, I prob’ly wouldn’t,” she confessed, giggling herself. “Honestly, the way she goes on sometimes, you would think she hardly even kissed a boy, but I know the kinds of things she and George get up to. Comes from being around her when she’s a little tipsy and confessional.”

“Well, you can’t try that with me, AB,” Zoe reminded her. “I wasn’t much of a drinker before the pregnancy and now alcohol is completely off limits for at least another couple of months.”

“That mean I’m not gettin’ any juicy details about you and Wade Kinsella?” her friend asked, nudging her with her elbow. “Come on now, I just gotta know if he’s as good as he thinks he is in the bedroom.”

“AB!” Zoe gasped, trying to look scandalised, but honestly, she couldn’t help but laugh some more. “What Wade and I do in the bedroom is nobody’s business but ours. Besides, most of the time, there’s not exactly a lot of sexy or romantic stories to share anyway. Not for as long as I’m this big,” she said, her arms cradling her enlarged midsection. “You know I have to lay curled up on my side with a pillow between my legs and another one under the bump just so I can sleep at night? Not sexy.”

“Aww, honey,” AB sympathised, giving her a sideways hug. “So, you and Wade don’t...?” she asked, trying to look innocent apparently, despite the question she was asking.

Zoe bit her lip, then lowered her voice when she finally answered. “Well, I didn’t say we never did _anything_...”

* * *

“Oh my gosh, Zoe, I am just so happy for you!” Katie enthused, hugging her friend one more time. “I’m just a little bummed that Wade isn’t around for my visit.”

“I promise you will see him before you head home,” Zoe assured her, even as she struggled to lever herself out of the chair to see her friend out. “You’re okay at the Whippoorwill, right? I mean, if I’d known you were coming, you probably could’ve stayed here at the house but-”

“Zoe, it’s fine, I swear,” said Katie without pause. “That place is adorable and it’s only for one night. I’m pretty sure the guy in charge even gave me a discount because I’m a friend of yours.”

“Dash isn’t usually that generous,” Zoe said thoughtfully. “I have a bad feeling he’s going to pump you for information about me later. Did I mention he writes for the Bluebell Blawker? He really loves his gossip.”

“I promise not to tell him anything incriminating,” Katie swore, crossing her heart as she said it. “How about your future plans? Are they a secret too?”

“Not exactly, although I would appreciate not having that end up in the town blog either, so...”

“Consider these lips sealed,” said Katie, making a motion that drew a zip shut across her mouth. “Unless Wade happens to have a twin brother, then I make no promises about my lips at all,” she said with a giggle.

“No twin, sorry. He has some interesting friends, but do you really want to date a guy named Meatball?”

Katie’s eyes widened at the sound of that, but she didn’t get a chance to make a comment. As Zoe opened the door to let her friend leave, they found that Harley was right there on the doorstep, intending to come in.

“Well, hello, there,” he said, smiling kindly at Zoe’s friend. “You must be Katie. I do hope you won’t leave on my account.”

“No, sir,” she told him politely. “But Zoe is getting tired and I’m pretty sure I have to be in the bed and breakfast before too much longer or they might just lock me out.”

“I don’t really think Dash would do such a thing,” said Harley even as he moved to let Katie out of the house and then stepped inside himself. “Still, I do see what you mean about our girl here. Sweetheart, you look like you’ve done far too much today,” he advised Zoe as she yawned.

“I swear I haven’t done so much. Mostly just talking to visitors. It’s been fun,” she said with a smile, “but I never knew just sitting and talking could make me so tired.”

“Aww, get some rest, Zoe,” Katie advised. “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow,” she promised, waving as she finally left.

Zoe waved back then leaned heavily on Harley, his arm going around her as he kissed the top of her head.

“Please tell me I won’t always feel this tired.”

“I promise you’ll get through it, honey, but Katie is right, you should get some rest right now.”

She sighed heavily, moving to schlump off in the direction of the couch, as Harley closed the door and put his bag and hat aside before joining her.

“You’re right, I should get an early night,” she admitted, “but I really don’t want to need so much sleep. With Wade working so much and me falling asleep so early, we’ve hardly seen each other the last few days. I can’t even remember the last time I got to the Rammer Jammer when he was there. It is not good.”

“Well, Zoe, that is something I was hoping to talk to you about... in a roundabout way,” Harley started to say. “You know, after you told me about your plans to go to UA and all, and you and Wade agreed to be living together over in Tuscaloosa...”

“Oh, Harley,” said Zoe, hands going to her face. “I’m so sorry.”

That seemed to cause him some confusion as he frowned at her. “You’re sorry?”

“Yes. I just... Well, with the pregnancy and everything, and how things were with you and my mom, I didn’t think... I mean, you’ve been so understanding, it never occurred to me that you’d think it was wrong.”

“Wrong?” Harley echoed, a light seeming to dawn then as he suddenly shook his head. “Oh, Zoe, sweetheart, no. I’m not judging your choices. I understand the world is a different place to what it was when I was young, and in any case, as you rightly said, myself and Candice... well, it was hardly in-keeping with old-fashioned values.”

“Okay.” Zoe sighed with releif. “Well, that’s good. I mean, that you’re not saying you don’t approve.”

“I very much approve of the relationship between you and Wade, honey, as you oughta know by now,” her father assured her. “I believe you have something real special between you and that you can build a wonderful future together, along with your daughter,” he said with a smile. “What I was wondering about were those times when you’re not in Tuscaloosa. When you come home for holidays and such, I’m wondering how it’s going to be having Wade livin’ with his daddy and you livin’ here. Gonna be a might strange after you two being together as a couple all the time when you’re away.”

“Huh.” Zoe frowned. “You know I hadn’t really thought about that.”

“Well, I have, and I think I’ve come up with a solution that might make things a little easier, and in all kinds of ways” said Harley with a smile. “You know, we have a couple of spare bedrooms upstairs. They need a little work, but one could easily be a nursery for the little one, and another could be converted for Earl.”

“Earl?” said Zoe, shaking her head. “You want Earl to move in here?”

“I was thinkin’ both him and Wade could find a place here, if that was what they wanted. Moreover, if it’s what _you_ wanted, sweetheart,” Harley explained. “Not only would it allow you and Wade to be together as much as you wanted, it’d ensure Earl had somebody to watch over him while you’re gone. I know he’s doin’ pretty well staying sober, but I also know how tough that kind of thing can be as time passes.”

“And if he and Wade lived with us, they wouldn’t have so many expenses,” Zoe realised aloud. “Plus, if Wade is coming home to this house every time he finishes a shift, I might actually get to see him once in a while.”

“That is another fine notion,” said Harley with a chuckle in his voice. “So, you like the idea, Zoe?”

With tears in her eyes, she nodded her head firmly and smiled wide. “I love the idea. Thank you, Harley. Thank you so much.”


	33. Chapter 33

“Baby, how many times do we have to tell you not to carry stuff around?” asked Wade, rushing to take the load from Zoe’s arms.

“It’s a pillow,” she told him, even as he grabbed it from her. “Seriously, I can manage one whole pillow, Wade.”

“Hey, we are not takin’ any chances with you or this kid, am I right, Harley?”

“You won’t hear any arguments from me, son,” Zoe’s father agreed without hesitation. “Sweetheart, I wish you would just sit down and let us get this done. You really should be gettin’ all the rest you can right now.”

At thirty-five weeks pregnant, Zoe didn’t even have the energy to argue the point, though a part of her would like to. Honestly, at this stage, it was a very small part, but still.

It seemed wrong to be sitting idle when there was so much to be done. Wade and Earl didn’t have so very many possessions, but it was still a fair amount to be moved into the Wilkes’ house. They had been shifting boxes and small pieces of furniture around for hours and hadn’t let her do one single thing yet, even though half the house now looked like a bomb hit it.

“Okay, can I at least get you guys a drink?” she asked, watching them all sweating. “I can make tea or get some lemonade from the fridge or something, please?” she practically begged, looking from Wade to Harley and back again in the hopes of one of them agreeing.

It was her father who eventually sighed and gave in. “Fine. You can fetch some bottled water from the refrigerator,” Harley told her. “But you watch your step on these stairs and you take your time, you hear me, sweetheart?”

“I hear.” Zoe huffed as she trudged off on her journey. “Like I could go any faster, even if I wanted to,” she complained, just as she reached the hallway.

Earl came in through the front door then, a lamp in one hand and a bag dangling from the fingers of the other.

“Well, hey there, pretty girl,” he said, looking Zoe over. “I swear, you get any bigger, you’re gonna bust.”

“Thanks, Earl,” she said, smiling because it was hard not to find his phrasing amusing. “That’s just what a girl wants to hear.”

“Oh. Sorry ‘bout that,” he said, looking guilty then. “I guess all that boozin’ I used to do, it’s kinda messed up my brain some. Sometimes, I say things, don’t really think ‘em through.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Zoe promised, her hand briefly on his arm. “I know you didn’t mean any harm. Honestly, a not-small part of the time, I feel like I really might just burst, but no, there are still five weeks to go yet,” she said, heaving a sigh. “I swear, I don’t even know why women choose to do this, and multiple times too!”

“I promise you, little Zoe, when you see that baby of yours, you’ll know that all this trouble was worth it.” Earl smiled kindly at her. “I know that’s how me and my Jackie felt anyhow, first with Jesse, then with Wade.”

There was a glassy look in his eyes and a shake in his voice when he spoke of his wife and the family they had built together. Immediately, Zoe wanted to take back anything she might’ve said to hurt him, but she knew she hadn’t really, any more than he had really insulted her when he talked about her being so big.

“You know, I can’t think of better people than you and Harley to be grandfathers to this baby,” she said with a soft smile. “I just know she’s going to love her Grandpa Earl.”

Wade’s father had to clear his throat pretty hard before he could answer her. “Well, I’ll be just as proud as punch to have her look to me that way,” he said definitely. “And I will do my best by her, I promise you that.”

“I know.” Zoe nodded.

“Hey, Dad?” Wade suddenly called from upstairs. “You bringin’ that stuff up here or not, old man?”

“Be right there, son!” Earl yelled back before hurrying up the stairs just as fast as he could.

Zoe laughed at the sound of the Kinsella men bantering back and forth as she finally made her way to the kitchen to get some water for the guys. Taking a hold of the handle on the fridge, she started to pull and then suddenly let go, a pain shooting right around the middle of her body.

“Wow,” she gasped, bending double for a moment and trying to breathe through the pain and shock.

She waited for something else to happen, another spasm, further pain, any other symptoms that might be cause for concern. Nothing happened. Standing straight again, one arm went around her bump, as if to cradle the baby inside. She felt the little one kick against her hand and smiled.

“Maybe after we take the guys their water, we should take a break,” she said to the baby, reaching for fridge door one more time and opening it without incident this time around.

Zoe took the bottles of water as far as the bottom of the staircase, only for Wade to reach the bottom step and hold out his hands for the drinks.

“I could’ve brought them up,” she told him with a look.

“You could also sit your butt down and take a little pressure off your pretty little ankles that are tryin’ to be as big as your head right now,” he told her smartly.

Zoe opened her mouth to argue but already knew it would do no good. Actually, she found it weirdly sweet that Wade had even noticed something like that. Of course, there was every chance Harley had told him, but that was okay too.

“Fine!” she huffed, like it was the biggest convenience. “I’ll sit, but only for a little while,” she told him, pointing a finger into his chest. “Then I am coming back up to our room to check everything is okay. No neon signs over the bed, okay, cowboy? And no moving my tchotchkes around either,” she said firmly, wondering at the ridiculous grin he was wearing even then. “What?”

“You said _our_ room,” he pointed out, wrapping an arm around her. “Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”

It didn’t take much for Zoe to give in and grin right back at him. “It actually does,” she admitted, meeting his kiss.

“Okay, now go sit your butt down a while, beautiful. We’ll handle the rest of this stuff that needs movin’ and we’ll yell for you when we’re done.”

“Don’t yell too loud,” Zoe advised as she manoeuvred herself into the living room. “There’s a good chance that the second I hit the couch, I’ll fall asleep.”

It was almost scary how good the idea of that kind of rest seemed to Zoe when it wasn’t even noon yet. Still, she figured Harley had a point about her getting all the rest she could while the going was good. Once the baby came, things were going to get seriously intense. Of course, it helped knowing that she didn’t have to do any of this alone.

Settling down on the couch with her feet up, Zoe had a smile on her face as she let her eyes close a while. To think that when she first found out she was pregnant, she was so panicked about how she would deal. Now she had a father who loved her to pieces, a boyfriend who was completely devoted, plus his father who doted on her too. Most of the townsfolk of Bluebell seemed more than willing to rally around, as needed, to pitch in and help. Zoe was pretty sure she had never felt so safe or so loved in her whole life.

* * *

It wasn’t that Wade wasn’t comfortable in Zoe’s bed. Truth be told, he had been there before, and he was never once sorry to have spent the time, but things were real different now. As of today, it wasn’t just Zoe’s bed, it was his own too. This house that used to be the Wilkes place was now home to four (and a half, he supposed), including himself and good old Earl.

Wade really never saw that coming. Thinking about it too much had him chuckling enough to get Zoe’s attention, though he was pretty sure she had been half-asleep with her head on his chest until then.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, peering up at him through a curtain of her own hair.

“Nothin’ really,” Wade told her, pushing said hair aside so he could better see her face. “Don’t look so worried, sweetheart, I was just... well, I guess I was thinkin’ how I never saw myself endin’ up here.”

“Here?” she checked. “As in this bed? Because you’ve been here before. Sure, not so much for a sleep over, but-”

“That ain’t what I meant.” Wade shook his head. “Well, not exactly,” he corrected, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. “Truth is I was just considerin’ where life’s twisting path has taken me this past year. Hell, this past six months or so. You realise that this time last year, we didn’t even meet yet?”

“Huh. You know, I hadn’t actually thought about it, at least, not lately, but you’re right,” Zoe considered. “Wow. This time last year I was in Yale. Last semester of Freshman year. I was worrying about finals already and...”

When she fell silent, Wade wondered if somehow she had managed to fall back to sleep on him, though it seemed unlikely when she was mid-sentence. Looking down, he realised Zoe very much had her eyes open, but she was biting her lip and seemed to be feeling every kind of awkward somehow.

“Zo?” he said, nudging her shoulder. “You okay there?”

“I’m okay,” she confirmed, tilting her head back to look at him again. “I was just thinking about who I was dating back then,” she admitted softly.

“Uh-huh.” Wade nodded, a familiar kind of angry rearing up inside him when he was then forced to think of Zoe’s ex too.

It wasn’t like he ever met this Logan fella, and honestly, Wade was glad. He might just have to knock him into next Thursday if they ever crossed paths and Zoe was quick to tell him that Logan was the kind of call the cops for that type of thing. Still, Wade instantly disliked any person who would hurt his Zoe. He also could not understand how anyone could just casually walk away when they knew somebody was having their baby. It never happened to Wade himself and he knew he shouldn’t judge, but he loved Zoe so much, it was like a reflex to just hate Logan.

“Now I wonder what I ever saw in him,” said Zoe then, heaving a huge sigh, “but the truth is, I can’t ever regret meeting him, or dating him, or even having sex with him,” she said, bluntly as she ever said anything. “Because actually, I have a lot to thank him for.”

“Are you kidding me?” Wade yelped, moving over to better see Zoe’s face. “If this is some kinda joke, Zoe, it ain’t funny,” he told her definitely.

“Wade, come on,” she urged him to understand, propping herself up on the pillows now he was no longer holding onto her. “Think about it. If I never dated Logan, if we never slept together, I wouldn’t be pregnant,” she reminded him, one arm cradling her enlarged belly even now. “If there was no baby, maybe I never would’ve come here. Heck, I probably wouldn’t have passed out when we first met, which would mean you never would’ve made it into my room or have got the chance to tell me about Harley. Even if I had listened to you, I can’t say for sure I would’ve come to Bluebell, and even if I had, I can’t imagine I would’ve stayed.”

Wade wanted to argue with her. He really didn’t want to have to be grateful to that dick from Yale for anything, but even he had to admit that Zoe did have a point. If not for her pregnancy, which Logan played a role in, maybe things would’ve gone very differently. Maybe Zoe wouldn’t be in Wade’s life right now, and man, would that ever suck.

“Damn it, Zoe,” he complained then, rubbing his forehead. “Now you made me glad you slept with him too.”

She laughed at that and he couldn’t exactly blame her. It was pretty funny and all-out ridiculous, but there it was. If not for some piece of crap guy, Zoe and Wade might not even have got to know each other at all, much less be living together in her daddy’s house, with his daddy staying there too.

“C’mere, girl,” he said then, reaching to pull Zoe back into his arms, a place she went entirely willingly, her arm across his chest and her head on his shoulder.

“So, where were you a year ago?” she asked Wade then. “I mean, I know you were in Bluebell, but was your life pretty much the same as when I met you?”

“Pretty much,” he told her easily. “I never had much in the way of plans when I got out o’ high school. I figured I’d do the best I could up to eighteen, graduate and get the diploma and everything, then just use the time I used to go to school to get some more work done. We needed the money, especially when Earl was havin’ a bad day... which was usually more like a bad week, most of the time.”

“He is doing so much better now,” said Zoe softly. “I know it’s taken a long time, but he seems to really be trying.”

“He is, and I gotta admit, I did not see that comin’. Must be a hundred times that ol’ Earl told me he was gonna quit his drinkin’. Think the longest he ever lasted before was maybe a month.”

“Well, he’s already done better than that this time, right?”

“Yes and no.” Wade sighed. “We had a couple of shaky days in there, but for the most part he’s been sober as a judge from the day he told me he’d quit. Guess I have you to thank for that too, Zoe Hart,” he told her, planting another kiss in her hair.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about that too.”

“About me showin’ you my gratitude for stuff?” asked Wade, shifting down in the bed so their faces were level. “’Cause I can think of all kinds of fun things in that area,” he said with a salacious grin.

Zoe laughed. “Not what I meant,” she told him, even though they both knew he was already well aware. “I meant... well, you calling me Zoe Hart. It’s not really me, is it? Yes, it’s the name I’ve had my whole life, but Ethan Hart isn’t my father, he never was,” she said, shaking her head. “Harley is my real dad and he’s just the best at it now he’s been given the chance.”

“So, what?” Wade asked curiously. “You’re gonna be Zoe Wilkes?”

“Maybe. You think Harley would be okay with that?”

“You kiddin’ me, Zo? You do that, the man would do back flips if he could.”

“I’d settle for a general sense of happy,” Zoe told him, grinning yet.

“Why don’t you come over here and I’ll give you a real sense of happy?” Wade offered, glad when Zoe got as close as she could and they sunk into a good long kiss.


	34. Chapter 34

Wade stood back to check the paint job and shook his head. “I just figured you’d want pink is all.”

“This is the twenty first century, Wade,” Zoe reminded him, poking him in the bicep. “Girls do not automatically have to have pink. Besides, the pale yellow is nice. It’s... sunny.”

“Like we don’t got enough sun in ‘Bama without making the indoors look like the outdoors.” Wade rolled his eyes, but he was smiling at her all the same. “You’re my kinda crazy, sweetheart.”

“Good, because I’m pretty sure you’re stuck with me now,” she said, reaching up as best she could for a kiss, relieved as anything when he leant down to meet her.

This far into her pregnancy, Zoe was having trouble moving around in general, and she sure as heck couldn’t wear the high-heeled shoes she was such a fan of pre-pregnancy. It meant that people had to come to her for just about anything. It also meant that it was down to Wade to do things like decorating the baby’s room. Not that he seemed to mind at all, and damn, did he ever look good doing it.

“Hey, this ain’t a free show,” he told her, catching her staring.

“Then you should really learn how to paint with a shirt on,” she told him, even as her cheeks warmed from being caught out.

Before Wade could counter her comment in any way, Zoe felt a too-familiar pain pass around her middle that made her double over.

“Ugh, I hate when that happens,” she said a few seconds later, straightening up and finding Wade right in front of her, looking more than a little concerned. “I’m fine,” she promised.

“Yeah, I know,” he confessed. “You told me enough times when this happened before. Still, ain’t exactly fun seein’ you in pain like that.”

“Huh. Get used to it.” Zoe laughed, though there was no humour in it. “Four weeks from now, it’s going to be a lot worse. I am so not looking forward to that part,” she admitted, allowing Wade to help her over to the rocking chair.

Zoe heaved a sigh of relief as she sat down comfortably at last. She knew the pains every now and then were nothing to worry about. It was just the usual tightening, a little Braxton Hicks or practise contractions as she had explained to Wade more than once. She knew Harley had talked to him about it too, but somehow, it was Earl that had really stopped him from panicking quite so much.

“I took your momma to the hospital at least a half-dozen times when she was expectin’ Jesse,” he had said. “Scared me half to death each and every time, and it was always a false alarm. By the time he actually started comin’ on for real, I was cool as a cucumber, and we almost didn’t make it to the doctor at all!”

“That a thoughtful expression or you gettin’ more pain?” Wade checked then.

“Huh? Oh, just thoughtful,” Zoe told him the moment she realised what he said. “I’m sorry, I was thinking about your dad and what he said about when your mom was expecting your brother. I know you and Jesse don’t get along, and from what you told me I absolutely get why, but it’s weird to me, that’s all,” she admitted. “I never had any siblings, but if I did... I don’t know, I just can’t imagine hardly talking to them or not seeing them for so long.”

“Yeah, well,” said Wade, barely a mutter as he turned away and back to his painting, even though he was mostly done and had very little to occupy him anymore. “If you had a brother like mine, you’d be happy enough not to have him around.”

Zoe sighed. “He’s still your family, Wade.”

“No, he is not,” Wade said firmly, turning around to face her again.

He didn’t look mad exactly, just determined. Either way, Zoe didn’t really want a fight, especially not now, preferably not ever. She was about to apologise for even bringing Jesse into the conversation when suddenly Wade was on his knees in front of her, taking her hands into his own.

“Zoe, I thought I made it pretty plain to you already, but here it is,” he said, smiling up at her. “I have all the family I need right here,” he promised. “I got you and this little princess on the way,” he said, smiling at the large bump between them. “I got old Earl and I got Harley too. Now, sure, I would love to have my momma here, if for no other reason than to have her meet you and see how amazing you are, just like I do,” he said, smiling yet, even as his voice got real soft with emotion. “But I sure as heck don’t need my brother, nor anybody else around, to make me a family. Everybody is right here already, okay?”

Swallowing hard, Zoe nodded her head. “Okay,” she agreed. “You know that’s how I feel too, right?”

“I figured,” Wade agreed easily, standing up to lean over and kiss her lips. “Now, you sit right there and rest yourself. I got a lot o’ cleaning up to do before my shift at the Rammer Jammer. Lots of folks gonna be scrambling for their lunch and pick-me-up coffees before long.”

“Ugh, I miss coffee so, so much!” Zoe complained as she watched him work. “I know it’s bad for the baby and I even limited how much decaff I allow myself to have for her sake,” she said, patting her pregnant belly, “but how unfair is it, when you’re going through something that makes you super-tired, you have to give up the one thing that keeps you awake?”

“Sounds like a crappy deal to me, sweetheart,” Wade sympathised.

“It really is,” she agreed, yawning a very big yawn as she rocked gently in the rocking chair.

Zoe was pretty sure Wade said something else after that, maybe several other things, but she soon drifted off without really knowing what any of the words were.

* * *

“Zoe?” Harley called as he came in the front door.

“Right here!” she yelled back from the living room. “You need me out there?”

“Don’t get up, sweetheart,” he urged her, “I’ll come to you.”

As much as it was good for pregnant women to get some exercise where they could, Harley was wary of Zoe doing altogether too much. She had the can-do attitude that made her mother so attractive all those years ago, but Harley was determined that Zoe not overdo things and end up with either her or the baby (or both) suffering for it.

Putting his bag down, Harley wandered through to the living room, pulling off his tie as he went. He found Zoe sprawled in the armchair, her feet up on a stool, and a cool drink in her hand.

“Earl fixed me up before he left for his late shift,” she said with a smile. “I have to say, being waited on by three guys who love me? Not always a bad thing.”

Harley chuckled as he took a seat on the couch.

“Well, you need some pampering while you have the chance for it, Zoe. Soon enough, you’ll have your own little person to run around after.”

“I don’t know whether I’m dreading it or looking forward to it,” Zoe admitted. “I think it might be the weirdest combination of both.”

“From what I’ve heard from many an expectant mother in my time, I’d say that’s pretty normal,” her father assured her. “Now, how’ve you been doing today?”

“I’m okay.” Zoe shrugged. “Exhausted, aching, fat,” she listed off grumpily, “but okay.”

“I will accept exhausted and aching, but honey, you are _not_ fat. You’re pregnant, cultivating new life right there inside of you,” Harley reminded her. “It’s hardly the same thing, now is it?”

“I guess not,” she agreed, rubbing a hand over her pregnant belly and finding a smile. “You know, I’ve been thinking about names again.”

“Funny you should mention that,” said Harley then, chuckling into his words. “I heard some talk in town. Reckon they’re runnin’ a book on what the little one might be called when the time comes.”

“No way!” Zoe gasped. “That is so wrong!” she said, before considering. “Also, kind of flattering, I guess. I mean, they all care that much what my baby is going to be called? That must mean... well, does it make me a true Bluebellian?” she asked with a grin.

“I would say so, Zoe.” Harley smiled back at her. “Of course, you should hear some of the names they’re talkin’ about. I reckon they’re guessin’ everything from Ava down to... well, Zoe, after yourself, of course. Delma said she thought you’d go modern, maybe something like Britney.”

“Ugh, no.” Zoe shook her head.

“Well, then there was Shula who thought maybe something more traditional, though she’s thinking more Southern traditional than anything else, I guess. I do believe I overheard someone else trying to choose between Aura Lea and Bonnie Blue.”

“Wow. Those are... choices,” said Zoe diplomatically, highly aware that there was a very good chance Harley could have relatives or friends with those names himself. “Any more ideas?”

“I didn’t hear too much of what was discussed,” he admitted, “but I’d be willing to bet the guesses are wide and varied. Oh, I did hear one more,” he recalled then, “but, uh, I don’t know that you’ll care for the reason.”

“Try me,” Zoe urged him, too curious to not hear about it now.

“Well, you know, of course, that some folks are just bound and determined to believe that Wade Kinsella is the baby’s father?”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “I have tried to tell them.”

“I know, sweetheart, but some folks are just stubborn. Anyhow, somebody thought maybe you’d name the little one for Wade’s momma, Jacqueline.”

“Huh. Well, it’s not the worst idea ever,” Zoe considered. “One thing I know for sure is this little girl is not being named Candice!” she said definitely. “Although, on the topic of names, I did want to talk to you, actually.”

She hadn’t absolutely planned to bring up the subject right now, but it seemed to have come around naturally and Zoe didn’t see any reason to delay. Pulling herself up a little to face Harley head on, she cleared her throat and then opened her mouth to begin.

“Well, we may not have known each other too long, but I already know that face means somethin’ real serious is comin’,” said Harley with a look of his own.

“You’re not wrong,” Zoe admitted, smiling because she thought it was really cool that he already learned her expressions that way. “But it’s not a bad serious. At least, I hope it’s not. The fact is, well, when the baby comes along, she’s going to have my last name, obviously. The problem with that is my last name is Hart, which kind of makes no sense. Ethan Hart stood in as my dad for a while when I was a kid, but he hasn’t really been around in quite a while, and you’re my real father, so...”

She trailed off then, hoping Harley understood where she was going with this, since she was pretty sure she was going to burst into tears if she had to continue. She watched for some kind of reaction and saw Harley rub a hand over his face. When she could properly see him again, she realised his eyes were filling with tears too.

“Zoe, sweetheart,” he said softly, visibly swallowing hard before he could go on. “I can’t... I can’t hardly tell you what it would mean to me to have you and that grandchild of mine share my family name.”

“Since we are your family, I thought it just made sense.” Zoe shrugged, like it was no big deal, even though they both knew it absolutely was. “And I need you to know, it’s not a gratitude thing, even though I am so, so grateful for everything you’ve done for me and are continuing to do for me,” she explained. “It’s not about paying you back or doing what I think you want, though I am glad you approve. It’s for me and for her,” she said, eyes dipping to her bump. “I just feel like we’re supposed to be Wilkes.”

Harley nodded his agreement, getting up to go over and hug her as best he could in her current state. Zoe hugged back, a couple of stray tears escaping from her eyes as she did so.

It was odd to think of the first time she walked into that very same room, just six months before, not knowing Harley at all, wondering what she was even doing in Bluebell. Now she was so sure that it was home, that Harley was her true family, that her life was meant to be here or at least very close by. Zoe Hart was supposed to be Zoe Wilkes, and so she would be.


End file.
